Reply #17: So we should just let people slide on what they owe?

[MadHound]

Quite frankly, a lot of these people who let their student loans slide aren't going to be starving, or anywhere close to it. And right now, the government is again upping the interest rates on student loans, possibly to 8.5%. I'm certain that part of this large increase is directly due the default rate on loans. Why should my child be forced to pay a higher rate than previous generations? Answer, because of the large number of defaults of previous generations of students. Why should I shoulder a greater tax burden simply because somebody blows off their loan payments?

Sorry, but I'm a firm believer in personal responsibility in these sorts of things. If you have the means to pay back your student loan, you should do so. Like I said previously, I'm more than willing to make hardship exceptions on this matter. But most people who default on student loans aren't going to be hardship cases, and should be held accountable for their actions, or lack there-of.