Atana

For Jason's family and friends, condolences. I have a certain unease about posting here, but having read this thread, it was imperative to comment.
First, despite all the talk about choices and 'personal' responsibility, colleges have played a decisive role in setting up these conditions of desperation. First the costs of education, even at 'lesser schools' have escalated insanely, and often for no cause a reasonable person could justify. For example, I had worked for an institution where the library was so dated as to be virtually useless, but this institution somehow could spend 2 million on a bell tower. Second because of collegiate incest with corporate entities, there are major conflicts of interest arising. Here in Colorado one institition has turned over its scholarship administration to a private corporation. Fine, some here enraptured with somewhat vague ideas of collegiate morality might be inclined to state, its 'the free market'. However, this company has a vested interest in ensuring student debt, and as such will not administer monies which are not theirs, without agendas.
Third, student loan debt often kills the future of students from the lower economic tiers with an appalling finality. They often attend schools which proportionately cost as much as the first tier schools. And because of their status its much harder for them have the connections which the affluent students will attain from their backgrounds. So, the social darwinist argument here can only be defended as a direct acknowledgment of exactly how stratified US society has become. So please refrain from the postmodernist Horatio Alger nonsense. These are exceptional cases, and not the norm.
Finally, one of the reasons the loan servers are coming down so hard on so many people, is political. This summer, both the Bush administration, and Congress had made plans to cut the subsidies for these private companies a paltry amount, 5/10s of a percentage points. In all probability within the next few months these companies will exact strong arm tactics on anyone holding student loans, who cannot pay at the level which these people desire...which will make the tactics of Mussolini's thugs look positively genteel. And the Mussolini analogy applies if you know the original name and motivations for that contingent.
And to quell the inevietable comments that I am some lost waif, disgruntled student, or 'failure'. I am part of the collegiate system as a professor. And even with that, the pay isn't anywhere close to the costs of the education needed to obtain these positions. And in many regards, I have become shamed by my collegiate association, because all the promises made, do not come anywhere close to the costs. So, yes the college system and their corporate cronies do have a moral debt owed which they do not acknowledge. And quite truthfully how can any system last which damns the aspirations of the intelligent and talented of their society? Especially when it's premised on a form of social propaganda which no longer has any real reference to reality. And losing intelligent people is detrimental to any society. Whether they are lost because they are crushed by it, or opt out, this situation cannot continue. The promise of education should never have been allowed to be compromised by base motivations, and that includes profiteering. Especially from preying on the dreams of others to raise their status or their knowledge. Other countries can educate their people, without damning them. If the US cannot do so, or will not because a very small percentage benefit from the current situation, reform is sorely needed.