Is Biden’s student loan plan really an answer?

Photo courtesy of Patrick Semansky of the AP

I want to be upfront and state that I will likely graduate college with little to no debt. Make of this fact what you want.

The real problem in America is that education is, like oil, stocks and water, a commodity that is not valued in itself. Education is valued for its ability to open doors and grant wealth via a degree; it is thus the degree, not the education, that is valued.

But until we arrive at utopia, there exists a very prevalent issue in the cost of higher education. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities found that the median college student goes roughly $26,000 in debt to graduate, and that debt brings a lot of baggage that can cause people to forgo getting married, having children or buying a home.

At first, I was excited when it was announced some months ago that a portion of student debt (up to $10,000 for those making under $125,000 per year and an additional $10,000 for those who received Pell grants) would be waived. But as time wears on, I’m realizing the student debt relief plan wasn’t anywhere close to a solution. 

At a personal level, student debt relief is immensely beneficial. A huge weight has now been taken off of tens of millions of students, and many are now able to pursue their dreams unrestricted by financial burdens.

But on a structural level, what did the relief achieve? Perhaps if some major reform came first, then going forth with the plan would make sense. But as it is, the promised decreases in debt, inequality and boosts to the economy will vanish within a short time period. And while there’s going to be a boost in the economy, one must ask: what about the future students who won’t benefit from cancellation? Within a few years, the student debt that was eliminated will come back with a new generation of bogged-down students.

The student debt relief plan helped minority students who hold more student debt on average. But without addressing why minority students held more debt in the first place, the racial gap is just going to widen again in a few years. Furthermore, a new gap will open between degree-holders who benefited from relief and those who didn’t. And what does the relief plan do for Americans who didn’t go to college?

Student debt relief put the cart before the horse. So what could be some better solutions? Free public college is an easy first answer. General education requirements to achieve a degree is another good step. Stop punishing people trying to enter the middle class! Shorten their graduation time and save students tens of thousands of dollars.

Finally, we ought to replace many degree requirements with a faster and cheaper process: certification. Jobs that need you to show competency in a certain set of skills should require you to show competency in those skills, not complete a degree. 

Take forest rangers. To become one in New York, you need at least an associate’s degree. While the degree is no doubt useful, it’s redundant considering the 26-week certification course that’s required to become a ranger, anyway.

The outlined steps would help those without a degree make a decent living and those in college achieve a degree with less money and time. Shifting careers would become less painful. In comparison, Biden’s student debt relief plan doesn’t necessarily solve all the problems associated with getting a college degree. 

It creates new divides and is ultimately just a temporary stopgap that does not address systemic issues that result in overwhelming student debt. Dump out all the water you want – it doesn’t change the fact that the Titanic is sinking.