The Opposing Claim: Addressing the Concern over Increased Cost of Higher Education
The opposing claim seeks to address the concern over the increased cost of higher education that results in higher student loans. In the past, the number of people requiring the training was low. Therefore, the government funded the education of those wishing to advance their knowledge. The demand after the Second World War made it impossible for the government to continue supporting the training. The rise in demand led to higher prices of education leading to higher student loans. Using the credits, the students can achieve their dreams by studying their career choices successfully despite a humble background. Phillips and Bostian (2011, p. 377) postulate that graduates earn an average of $1,000,000 more than those that did not invest in education terming the loans as beneficial. In the assumption, he seeks to dispel the perception that the student loans confine the young people into a lifetime of dealing with debts with minimal advantage in their lives. Without the credits, most of the citizens from humble backgrounds would languish in poverty and the trend would pass to many generations in the lineage.
Reasons for Support
The author points out the benefits of student loans to avert the idea of equating them to the indenture (Phillips & Bostian, 2011, p. 372). In the past, the slaves signed indenture forms that made them possessions of their masters. With the indenture, the masters would enjoy the cheap labor provided by the slaves and in turn, transfer the ownership of the slave to another buyer. The agreement did not benefit the slaves in any way, in fact, most of the slaves died before the fulfillment of their contracts. The argumentative essay outlines that persons with lower incomes might experience challenges in paying back the loan. However, as the salary increases, the students can lead comfortable lives despite paying the loan. In analyzing the entire situation, it is safer to conclude that the student loans offer the students a better opportunity of attaining professionalism. The primary purpose of the loan was to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor concerning access to education. The loans allowed all citizens to access higher education and pay for schooling using future employment. Therefore, many people should apply for the loans and better their lives.
Common Ground
One of the outstanding principles of student loans is the necessity of repayment. The article reiterates on the dire need for the students to pay back the loan to enable the government to assist other needy students in the society. Most of the beneficiaries are earning an income from the employment opportunities they accessed using the education gained using the loans. Therefore, it is essential for the recipients to ensure other needy students benefit from the same loans by repaying them. The payment is not a form of slavery. In actual sense, it depicts the picture of a society that is appreciating the assistance offered to them during their time of need. Without the loans, most of the needy students would be languishing in poverty without any income to earn a living. However, the payment plan is unfair to some of the students. For example, pushing a person making $18,000 to pay $400 in a month is unrealistic (Phillips & Bostian, 2011, p. 378). The person might end up lacking enough money to meet his/her daily needs. Therefore, the payment plan should match the income of the person for fairness.
Responding to Others: Agree and Disagree at the Same Time
My perception is that indenture has some similarity with the current student loans. In the past, some of the slaves spend their entire lifetimes serving the contract signed between them and the master. The deals represented a mutual interest where the two parties held varied interests. For example, the slaves needed to move from their respective countries for better lives abroad. On the other hand, the master required cheap labor for their farms. During the colonial times, most of the colonialists faced starvation due to lack of knowledge in farming (Phillips & Bostian, 2011, p. 372). Therefore, the slaves guaranteed a steady supply of food making the contract mutual. However, the deal oppressed the slaves very much. Some of them died in the service without enjoying the fruits of living in the new land. Similarly, student loans are beneficial to both parties. The students use the money in paying for their education while the government collects the interest gained from the credits. In this case, the more significant beneficiary is the government. When the student secures employment, the government taxes the individual through the income while receiving the interests from the loan. If the student fails to obtain employment, the credit accumulates, and the student can only avoid paying through death. Some end up dying before enjoying their careers.
However, I do not entirely agree with the view. In the past, the slaves did not have any choice about their employment. It was the duty of the master to delegate responsibilities without any form of discussions with the slaves. My point of variation emanates from the fact that the government does not dictate to the student how to pay the loan. If the student decides to venture into business and raise the cash, the government does not uphold any restrictions that prevent such. Such differences depict a situation where the individual can employ different tactics in ensuring the loan does not accumulate any interest. My perception is that the interest seeks to discourage people from delaying in payment of the loan. Secondly, the slaves that signed the indenture worked under poor conditions. The masters felt that the slaves did not have the right to reasonable working conditions as other workers in the region (Phillips & Bostian, 2011, p. 372). Therefore, the slaves did not have the privilege of championing for their rights and calling for better conditions. However, the government provides equal working opportunities for all citizens irrespective of whether the studied through private means or using the loans. The differences signify the misconception of equating the indenture signed during colonial times to the agreement between the students and the government in accessing student loans.
The view changes my perception completely. I fail to see any similarity between the student loans and the indenture between the slaves and the masters. In the past, the government catered for all the students pursuing higher education. The interested individuals were few, and the burden was lighter for the government. However, the Second World War created an opportunity where people understood the value of education leading to a rise in demand. The changes created a situation where the cost of catering for the price of education was impossible for the government to bear. However, the government noticed that the citizens from a humble background failed to access higher education due to financial constraints. Their counterparts from wealthy families could afford the cost leading to an increased gap between the poor and the rich. Therefore, the government intended to improve the lives of the poor people in the community (Phillips & Bostian, 2011, p. 374). Using the loans, such people would be in a position to access education and pursue their dreams. Secondly, the government aimed at reducing the gap between the rich and the poor by enhancing equality. The intention of the government convinces me that the student loans are for a worthy course.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The article presents the idea that many people would find helpful. For example, it seeks to address the fact that the interests charged on the student loans are high. The assertion creates awareness to the policymakers that the terms lead to oppression of the students especially for those earning meager salaries. Therefore, a change in policy would present the students with favorable policies in the repayment plan. Secondly, the article exposes the challenges affecting the students during their period of study. For example, the loan is not sufficient to cater for the additional expenses such as transport to work and accommodation. The students end up taking extra jobs to survive. The posts take much time and might affect the performance of the student as well as the ultimate goal. Therefore, the article presents some information that is very beneficial for an audience of diverse nature. I would recommend the material for students, government officers, and management of institutions that offer higher education. The stakeholders hold the ability to salvage the situation by addressing the issues raised in the article.
Reference
Phillips, H., " Bostian, P. (2011). The purposeful argument: A practical guide. Cengage Learning.
