College is often assumed to be the next step in our educational journey after high school. Well, as you all know, college in the United States is quite expensive. This leads to many students taking out student loans to financially support their education. For some, these loans can be financially crippling for the entirety of their lives. College was often seen as the vessel to achieving The American Dream: a stable house, family, and career. But, ironically, it may do the opposite. 

This article claims student loans are financially inhibiting The American Dream. Student loan debt in America is now over a trillion dollars, only a little less than mortgage debt. Due to excessive student loans, it was reported that millennials are postponing starting families, purchasing homes, or going into business. Parents of college students are also retiring later as salaries have not increased in proportion to college tuition. Many parents have even allowed their adult children back into their homes. The last time I checked, children still living in their parent's basement at the age of 30 because of a harsh economic climate is not The American Dream. The new generation seems to be postponing The American Dream until after they clear their debt.  

The article provides some solutions to mitigate the student debt crisis. First, we must convince the next generation that college is one of the best investments that they can make for a financially secure future and not the cause of endless debt. I think students today are fearful of going to college as they know their family cannot pay the full tuition out of pocket, and I hope this anxiety can be relieved for future students in the coming years. Secondly, presidential candidate campaigns should mainly focus on making higher education more affordable for the average American. Bernie Sanders did a great job at bringing light to the crisis, but he is one of the few politicians who look after America's youth. After all, excessive student loans will eventually harm the economy, so it is in our best interest to quickly find a solution to this problem. 

Although currently some programs help reduce the cost of student loans or pay them off entirely, these programs are just temporary fixes and maybe a contributing factor in the increasing tuition costs. If too many students are given financial aid by the government, colleges are no longer incentivized to reduce tuition fees, leading to the problem only getting worse. 

I have always thought it is absolutely absurd to expect 18-year-olds(basically children) to decide whether they are ready to receive higher education with the risk of lifelong debt. In my opinion, not everyone has an inborn right to higher education, but that does not justify universities' exorbitant tuition fees falling on the backs of young adults. I hope that by the time my children enter college, tuition costs will not be so egregious that they have to give up on The American Dream.