Letter to the President – One last time!

I have copied this to my blog because I believe that the people need to know what is going on in the country -and I don’t know how else to get the word out.

I have written to the president many times in the past 3 years, and I am proud to say that he has responded personally twice; so I know that he hears our voices, even if they are as small as the squeak of a mouse.

This letter was inspired by two articles I read today:

108 billion – {Article no longer available}

Student Loan Forgiveness – {Article no longer available}

Mr. President:

First off, I would like to say that it will be sad to see you step down next month. I feel that you were good for the country and I believe that you will be missed -and this is coming from a voter that usually doesn’t vote Democratic.

I read two articles today about the condition of the Federal Student loan system and how you have tried to make it easier for the average American to pay their loans back.

With two daughters trying to pay their loans off, I can see that your efforts have helped and I thank you for that.

However, as a parent who got sucked into the “Parent Plus Loan” trap, I fear that this “olive branch” has not been extended far enough.

I have been faithfully paying my required loan payments for almost two years now, and so far, the only result this has produced is that my loan balance has gone UP each year by over $3,000.00 because I cannot afford to make the normal 10 year full payment. If I had the same opportunity my kids have, my payments would be more affordable, and there might actually be an end to the balance owed.

But alas, I do not have the same opportunities that my kids have.

Although I am responsible for what I borrowed, comparing my oldest daughter’s education to my youngest: I believe that part of the problem is the ease at which people can get money.

I borrowed believing (and being led to believe) that the government would assist in making the paying back process manageable. However, I now find myself stuck between the DOE, who says that the system is the fault of the Congress, and the private agency (My loan handler), who says also that it is out of their hands, that they know that the system is flawed but there is nothing they can do about it.

All I want to do is pay back what I owe, without losing my home in the process, and with some option other than my own death as a vehicle for seeing the loan retired.

One of the articles said that the tax payers should not worry about the amounts being forgiven by the Government, because the DOE still made 84 Billion in profit.

This too is part of the problem. The DOE should NOT be in it to make a profit: the books should balance at zero profit because the purpose of the DOE is to educate the people, knowing that the profit will come in the form of a better educated and competitive America.

Thanks for listening!

 

…And thank YOU for reading!