Student loan help

Relief should come at last

Many student loan borrowers were already struggling with their debt.

Then came COVID-19. The unemployment rate skyrocketed and stayat-home orders continue to be extended by governors of hard-hit states. Some businesses may not make it through the pandemic.

What was already a crisis became a disaster for borrowers. The Department of Education and Congress are offering some relief for federal student loan borrowers, but more help is needed.

President Donald Trump signed the emergency stimulus bill into law on March

27. The president and Congress did the right thing by approving a bill to assist borrowers on several fronts.

The bill, though, doesn’t take care of all concerns listed by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and 27 other state attorneys general urging the Education Department to offer additional help. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos should act quickly to help those with student loans until the crisis abates.

While some debt collection on federal loans is suspended, Mr. Shapiro asked that all debt collection on delinquent loans be temporarily suspended.

Under the stimulus bill, borrowers with federal loans will see deferred interest and payments through Sept. 30. That relief doesn’t extend to all borrowers though.

Mr. Shapiro and his colleagues want relief extended to Perkins loan borrowers and Federal Family Education Loan borrowers not covered by the stimulus law.

That leads to a larger issue. Student loan debt stands at $1.64 trillion spread out among 45 million Americans. If anything good comes of the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be a look at solving the student loan crisis once and for all. Preventing future troubles should also be part of the path forward. The last student loan crisis was in the recession of 2008.

Something is woefully wrong in the nation’s approach to student loans. There’s too much pressure on kids to go to college. Not everyone thrives in a college environment and might be better suited to a trade or skilled labor. Yet that subtle societal pressure to get a college degree is out there, leading to loans for an education not suited for many Americans. For many, less-expensive trade schools and com-munity colleges would get students the skills they need to launch good careers in a variety of fields with far less borrowing.

Better loan counseling should be offered so students clearly know what burden they are taking on after graduation.

The variety of repayment plans should be expanded and interest rates reduced to ease debt. An income-based repayment plan doesn’t do much good if the interest keeps compounding during the longer repayment term. Interest rates should be capped, even in good times.

Borrowers need repayment terms that don’t excessively eat into their disposable income. That will be better for the economy and better for young people starting their careers.

For too many years, too many student loans have amounted to usury and have crippled the lives of a generation with insurmountable debt.