There's plenty of blame to go around. The students, for majoring in "fun" degrees where they don't have to work too hard and get to hang with the kool kidz, rather than going for a degree that's marketable. The government (federal and state), for turning student loans into economic heroin. The Federal Reserve, for the underlying monetary policy of printing money like there's no tomorrow, which makes the loans possible. And the colleged, for coddling the students and for running their schools as institutions of indoctrination, rather than education. The primary public school system and the teachers' unions get a slap too, for not preparing students for college work.

American students rank at the bottom of the Western world in pretty much every skill category that is measured by any of the standardized tests. This despite the fact that Americans take more years of schooling, on average, than students in most other countries.

Don't forget the interest. I looked for the 2016 interest rates, and they appear to start at 4%+.

Federally guaranteed student loans? that's like giving lenders a license to print money. And universities of all stripes feeding from the trough like little piggies.

But hey, that University Diversity Assurance Officer isn't going to get a 6 figure salary any other way. Hopefully the little dears will feel safe that way.

American students rank at the bottom of the Western world in pretty much every skill category that is measured by any of the standardized tests. This despite the fact that Americans take more years of schooling, on average, than students in most other countries.

And we throw more money at the problem than our competitors do.

I don't see the problem!?

Wait, I mean I do see the mind-numbing ignorance of taking out loans when you are pursuing an education that might not lead to a well-paying job.

What I mean is that I don't see how it is "horrifying" to garnish wages. They are working, aren't they? They have an income, don't they?

Then they should damn well pay back the money they borrowed. Bernie Sanders isn't President so their loans haven't been forgiven; then they need to start paying back. period. There is nothing "horrifying" about that.

Also, there is nothing inherently wrong with majoring in a "fun" degree; but, they should have realized that spending tons of money to do something "fun" or personally "enriching" is something for the leisure class - not the rest of us. If they had taken a couple of math, economics, or business courses while in college maybe they would have learned that lesson.

To borrow money, with no clear prospects of paying it back is irresponsible; that is something for the protected political class; again, not something for us plebeians. If they had taken a couple of political science or history courses that were not taught by left-wing, anti-capitalist, "burn-the-rich," envious, Marxists while in college maybe they would have learned that lesson.

So, in reality, their educators failed them by not preparing them for life; and they failed themselves for being so gullible by going along with the student loan program scam. And, now they have to pay - that isn't "horrifying."

Don't forget the guidance counselors who push post secondary education to those who are destined to fail.

Ran into this "problem" several decades ago when my son was graduating from high school. I insisted that his "guidance" counselor tell him the salaries he could expect from the degrees he wanted.

Ha Ha Ha! Either he did not know (pre-Google?) or he did not want to say. Got tired of the conversations and simply told my son I would pay for college IF he got a 2 year HVAC trade license/degree first.

Horrors! School was pissed at my inconsiderateness and son was pissed (not uncommon then) at my unwillingness to pay for a degree in either ENGLISH or ACTING.

(I may be stupid but I'm not crazy. At least according to the voices in my head.)

I would pay for college IF he got a 2 year HVAC trade license/degree first

Knowing what I know now, I would have taken that deal.

Of course, the first semester I took courses at TAMU, the instate rate was $4/credit, and the out of state was $16/credit. I can tell you I became a Texan as fast as the law would allow.

Yes, I'm old as dirt. No, I will not put you in my will.

I agree with Charles. I can't feel too sorry for someone who has their wages garnished for money they owe.

And let's be real. There must 1,000 different ways to postpone student loan repayments, and these loans do not collect interest during the time period you have a waiver.

If their wages were garnished, it's because they were too stupid or too lazy to ask for forbearance. It's there for the asking! Unemployed right now? They will put a hold on your payments while you look for a job, and while it's on hold, you will not accumulate interest.

There must 1,000 different ways to postpone student loan repayments, and these loans do not collect interest during the time period you have a waiver. ~ Patrick at March 23, 2016 1:46 PM

There are actually two main ways to postpone payments on student loans, a deferment and a forbearance.

This knowledge I'm about to lay on you comes from five years working in student loans in the late '80s and early '90s. Some details may have changed, but based on the experience we had with my wife's student loan, not much has. This information pertains to government subsidized student loans.

Deferments are offered for a purpose, unemployment, public service, injury/illness, teaching in an inner-city school, etc. Deferments can vary in length, depending upon the reason for it (e.g., an unemployment deferment lasts 3 months and the total allowed unemployment deferment time is capped at 2 years).

A forbearance is offered at request, no reason required.

During a deferment, the government continues to subsidize the interest on the loan and may even pick up the non-subsidized interest as well, depending upon the type of deferment.

During a forbearance the interest is capitalized onto the principal of the loan, creating a new loan amount when the forbearance ends. The forbearance total is usually capped at a maximum of two years per loan.

And universities of all stripes feeding from the trough like little piggies. ~ I R A Darth Aggie at March 23, 2016 7:00 AM

When I first started working in student loans (in the '80s), the major defaults were coming from proprietary trade schools. These schools would promise the unsuspecting dupes a marketable skill and not teach them what they needed to know. One truck driving school graduate told me he had never even sat in the cab of an 18-wheeler while in truck driving school and was told by a trucking company with whom he applied that no one hired from that school. Of course, he would have researched the school before signing the application.

The application always included a student loan application with the "disburse 100% of funds to school" box pre-checked. And the tuition was always the maximum amount of the student loan.

Originally, the student loan was intended to cover tuition, books, and various living expenses. These schools hijacked the loan amount to claim all of it.

After a few years (or months) of operation, the school would declare bankruptcy and close. Good luck getting a refund if you didn't apply immediately (since the school is allowed to keep prorated tuition and a "processing" fee if the student drops out).

The nonprofit universities didn't catch onto the "take the whole loan amount" trick until recently. Now, even the state schools are demanding the whole amount. They've set their tuition at that amount and anyone who can pay without a loan will pay it. Everyone else will get a loan. For good students they want to attract, they offer a fellowship and a stipend as a tuition break (that's how I got through grad school without losing my shirt on my loan).

"I am not going to call myself 'Dr' any more, as I know now that it is a fake university. The PhD on my CV is not a real qualification,"

No classes / no thesis required wasn't a tipoff?

I was homeless in high school and couch-surfed my way through, ending up living with a boyfriend the last year. I had a teacher and a guidance counselor who were determined to help me "succeed" so they encouraged me to apply for college and take out loans to get through, because it would be worth it. I majored in history because my college advisor told me to do whatever I loved and I was too stupid to know any better. Then when I couldn't find a job I went to grad school, because I was told I could be a professor.

I had no idea there could ever be too many professors. I had no idea what questions to even ask.

So, while I have in years past seen some consistent commenters on this blog skewer everyone "like me," With student loan debt and useless degrees, I would like to clarify that I never had an entitlement complex and for that matter I didn't have parents to guide me.

All of that said, there are plenty of federal loan programs that everyone can use in order to not get your wages garnished. I use the income-based repayment program, and I have my payments automatically withdrawn monthly so I don't forget. Everyone with federal student loans is eligible for that, so I have no sympathy for those who have wages garnished.

Jessica,

Since you have personal firsthand experience with the system what solutions can you propose?

For better or for worse the only good solution I can see is the complete elimination of federal loans for education. Everything else appears to have worse long term effects, including the status quo.

Ben,

Nothing magical or black and white. I have lots of ideas, but for each one I have I can think of a perfectly logical counterargument.

I like what Tennessee is trying, giving every Tennessee high school graduate free tuition for any Tennessee public university or college. I wish apprenticeships were still readily available. I would love to see guidance counselors and college advisors encouraging kids to use those two years in a skill-based program (welding, a/c, auto, electric, etc.) rather than that ridiculous list of "core" classes designed to make universities more money.

None of that solves the current issue, though. If Tennesse's program proves viable, and other states adopt it, then what you propose completely makes sense. It makes sense now, frankly, but it won't happen yet.