State must help reduce student debt

Pursuing an education in the state of Ohio used to require only a simple summer job to pay for an entire year of college tuition. Now, with in- state tuition at some state universities rising as high as $ 14,000, higher education has become a debt-sentence for many students and their families.

For some, loans with high interest rates are the only available option to pay for college. As a result, students are graduating with massive debt that will accompany them throughout most of their lives. Lawmakers who claim to be fighting for their constituents’ “best interest” have failed to consider this growing student- debt crisis. Instead, the GOP- controlled legislature has made the situation far worse.

A new report finds that Ohio is paying 15 percent less per student than it did in 2008. To the silence of our lawmakers, Ohio now leads the nation when it comes to the highest amount of student debt, according to an Aug. 5 Dispatch article. If Ohio wants to be economically successful and competitive, it should stop punishing students attempting to receive a higher education.

Our self-worth and our futures should not be solely determined by our bank statements. There is something to be said about lawmakers who will not invest in the individuals who they are elected to serve; but they could start by properly investing in students and by reining in college costs.

Mace Hickman Columbus