The issue of President Biden’s Executive Order to cancel student loan debt for tens of millions of borrowers and cut future loan payments for millions more is just a band-aid to a much bigger problem. It’s not. It stretched beyond the reach of many American families. Biden’s heart and head are in the right place, and we applaud him for taking the small steps he could rationally Even the Democratic caucuses, which were calling for more aggressive measures, were politically hampered from enacting much legislation. I was hitting the brakes.

But executive orders are fleeting, lasting only for the duration of their tenure or as long as the courts allow, so millions of families again face overcapacity college bills and quickly revert to debt quicksand. There is no doubt about that. pay.

why? This is because university tuition is on the rise and government support is not keeping up.

What is needed is a strategy that leverages both public and private resources to increase financial investment in higher education.

First, note that the college enrollment rate for West Virginia high school classes in 2021 is 45.9%, down from 48.2% the year before. Put another way, more than half of the high school graduates in the 2021 class and her 2020 class are enrolled in the post-secondary curriculum (even in two-year schools, he is in four years) one year after entering high school. I didn’t go to a regular school). Diploma.

With such low education, the nation cannot build a healthy economy. Society itself is suffering.

Moreover, when college is financially beyond family means, and when legislative policy fails to appreciate the benefits of a college education, we close the window of opportunity for a generation of West Virginians. , the cost of college is deterring children from attending school. Others drop out before completing their degree. Furthermore, only about two-thirds of students complete a four-year public university degree in six years, and only about one-third complete a two-year public university degree in six years. I’m sorry.

The financial burden of working to pay the bills while attending college and trying to make classes is real.

We, as a society, need to relieve some of the pressure.

It is clear that elected officials need to make higher education a much higher spending priority than it is today. And that means more than just playing the simple budget game of moving money from one small cup to another. This means that we need to increase these funds by distributing them to

And trust us, the wealthy can afford it. I’ve been

State by state, policy makers are taking a pass and backing off investment in public higher education. And of course, as universities and colleges raise tuition to pay the bills, more is being put on students and families.

We mean what we say when we proudly and loudly say that in the best possible world, our children need quality education.Like we support K-12 Secondly, we need to deal with public university education. We clearly and collectively understand that high school level education is only a basic need for our society and economy and should be available to all. In this day and age, college education is exactly the same. All American children, regardless of race or background, regardless of social status or the loud voice they call home, every last one will not only be encouraged but charged for higher education. You should be given the chance to do so without a single shiny penny for tuition or fees.

Our time is up – and we must do better for our children. I’m telling you that I can’t afford it.

Shit.

We need to stop saying we can’t afford it when it’s the rate we “go” behind the scenes that we really can’t afford.

College should not be a privilege for those who can pay the bills. It should be free for anyone who wants to go to college and gain experience. It should be accommodation for everyone.

And that’s how we build a better tomorrow.