Keeping the promise

I married shortly after dropping out of college. I went back to school in 1978, when we purchased our home. My company showed I worked an average of 53 hours per week, while going to college and studying engineering. My wife came from an immigrant family and lived in government housing during her formativeyears. Iusedtojoke the only thing we had in common was college loans, which we paid off in four years.

One promise we made to each other was that we would pay for our children’s college. We did. That was not easy because the University of Chicago was about $50,000 per year by the time our youngest went there. We also purchased each of them a new car upon graduation. I also helped my father during the 1980s when his farm was foreclosed upon. My brothers and I purchased it at auction so my parents could stay in their home. I never graduated college, but I made manager of R&D at a company at age 36 and retired at 45.

In short, my wife and I came from little and worked our whole lives. Now I’m supposed to feel sorry for someone who took on more student debt than they could chew? I have made mistakes in my life too, but I lived with them, figured a way out and corrected them. That’s called maturity.

William L. Tarasen, Las Vegas

SETH WENIG / AP FILE (2018) President Joe Biden’s student loan cancellation offers a life-changing financial break for millions of Americans, but the plan is seen by some as unfair.