11/4/16

Dear Future President:

I am a 9th grade student In Texas. Mine and many other students interest in college comes with a troubling worry of college tuition. As you may know, college tuition is increasing every year and the costs are getting unbearable for the majority of students. I believe college tuition should be lowered because students should not start their lives in debt and tuition has put a unpresidential amount of stress on Americans and how they live.

Many Americans are forced to enter the workforce and start their lives with $30,000 of debt under their belts. Being in debt for the first time can put off a lot of important milestones in a young person's life. For example, many students put off buying their first home, getting married, or having kids because they feel like their college loan debt is crushing them. It's unfortunate but college loan debt is forcing people to start their lives in poverty and financial distress. A few might say that lowering tuition cost might devalue our education system and lower motivation in people to go to college but actually lowering tuition will allow so many people to get an education who couldn't afford it before which will lower the poverty line and open up jobs. There are 1.2 trillion dollars of student loan debt currently in the united states making it the second highest level of consumer debt behind mortgages. A 2013 ASA survey respondent says “Student debt weighs on every decision I make, from food shopping, to where I choose to live, to how I spend my free time, to what clothes I wear, and ultimately, what career I choose.” College debt doesn't just affect young people, it has an intense influence on anyone their whole life causing you financial difficulties and increased stress in your life.

Stress is a very big part of everyday American lives. College loan debt is the biggest source of stress and anxiety for many. It is the source of many sleepless nights. Imagine being so stressed out by debt that you get an anxiety attack just thinking about how you're going to possibly pay off your debt quickly so you can finally live your life with freedom. Think about a single parent working multiple hours to provide for their family and selves then having to worry about paying off $30k in debt. Should this really be the price we pay for education? 44.2 million americans have to live with the daily stress of tuition debt consuming their lives. Some people even die with debt still accumulating under their names causing them to have stress follow them their whole lives. Student loan debt can be avoided by some kind of scholarship or even student loan forgiveness. Scholarships are not very easy to get and student loan forgiveness is only given in some careers such as teaching or sometimes social work. Now many will say decreasing costs will ruin our economy; however student loans are actually ruining our economy currently by collecting 1.2 trillion dollars in unpaid loans. Debt can often be the most stressful thing in life but also easily avoided by lowering tuition cost.

Lowering student loan tuition is a vital issue for my generation and many to come. It can get more people a better education which will open doors up to so many more possibilities. Lowering tuition will start young citizens on the right track and prevent a lifetime of distress, struggle, and debt. Cutting down on tuition will create jobs, lower poverty line, allow more americans to get a better education, and make our economy great!

Sincerely