Students refusing to pay their federal loans wrote to the Department of Education

[aGameOfThrones]

Fifteen students are refusing to pay back federal student loans taken out to attend schools owned by Corinthian Colleges, Inc., a network of for-profit colleges located across the US and in Canada.

The students — who refer to themselves as the Corinthian 15 — created a website where they've published a letter they wrote to the Department of Education asking for loan forgiveness.

All 15 also tell their own personal stories on the website.

In the letter, the students identify themselves as "people living paycheck to paycheck, single mothers, and young people just starting out."

They tell the Department, "... We trusted you to ensure that the education system in this country would do so. But Corinthian took advantage of our dreams and targeted us to make a profit. You let it happen, and now you cash in."


Here's the full letter published on their website:

TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
19 February, 2015

Who are we? We are the first generation made poor by the business of education.

We are people living paycheck to paycheck, single mothers, and young people just starting out. We wanted an education because we were driven to learn and to achieve a better life for ourselves and for our families.

We trusted that education would lead to a better life. And we trusted you to ensure that the education system in this country would do so. But Corinthian took advantage of our dreams and targeted us to make a profit. You let it happen, and now you cash in.

Each month you force us to make payments into an immoral system that profits from our aspirations.

We paid dearly for degrees that have led to unemployment or to jobs that don't pay a living wage. We can't and won't pay any longer.

Repayment plans presented as a helping hand simply aren't good enough. The wrong done to us is deeper than that.

We are not alone in this fight. Corinthian's predatory empire pushed hundreds of thousands into a debt trap. But even beyond for-profit schools, tens of millions of students are in more debt than they can ever repay. And you are the debt collector, with powers beyond a payday lender’s wildest dreams.

To the Department of Education and to the lenders, servicers, and guarantee agencies who have stolen our futures, we say: enough! Erase these loans.

To current and former college students across the country, we say: we stand with you to demand the end of a higher education system that profits from all our dreams. Join our fight.

We won't pay. We are the Corinthian Fifteen,

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-letter-15-students-refusing-154329062.html

 

[asurfaholic]

They want a free education in a school they didn't care enough to research in a degree program they didn't care to research.

These people have no right to complain about the debt they brought onto themselves. These are the welfare 15.

Im making 6 figures and I didn't go to college. I could have gone but didn't see any benefit in it. I do real work in a real field that has a real need for more people like me. Oh, I never asked anyone for anything. Keep my head up and a smile on my face, and do even the most tedious and dirty jobs with a positive attitude with only the top quality completion of the job as my goal.

It's really that simple. Throw these 15 in jail for defrauding the govt.

 

[morfeeis]

On one hand i'm like you got the debt you freaking pay for it, on the other hand i'm like take your living wage verbiage and shove it up your ass. But on the left leg i'm like damn i hate the banking system and on the other leg i'm like if there wasn't any federal loan guarantees than a college education would be a lot more affordable.

But still; i cant get past the wording they use, fuck those guys if they are spending on bullcrap and then crying like i think they are.

 

[morfeeis]

It's really that simple. Throw these 15 in jail for defrauding the govt.

I agree with everything else but that last part, they fuck us every day, sometimes you gotta share .....

 

[JK/SEA]

They want a free education in a school they didn't care enough to research in a degree program they didn't care to research.

These people have no right to complain about the debt they brought onto themselves. These are the welfare 15.

Im making 6 figures and I didn't go to college. I could have gone but didn't see any benefit in it. I do real work in a real field that has a real need for more people like me. Oh, I never asked anyone for anything. Keep my head up and a smile on my face, and do even the most tedious and dirty jobs with a positive attitude with only the top quality completion of the job as my goal.

It's really that simple. Throw these 15 in jail for defrauding the govt.

too bad not everyone is as smart as you isn't it?...

government loves it when you fuck up, and then we get people like you defending the government....

would you say tuition is too low or too high?...

 

[oyarde]

These miscreants will likely end up being made an example of . Sorry they had no person to tell them not to borrow from the gubmit .

 

[oyarde]

I need to set up an advice column for youngsters .

 

[AuH20]

On one hand, you have to feel for them for being deceived. On the other, you wonder if they can survive in this 'dog eat dog' world if they are this gullible. I was starting to see through this stuff in my late teens deductively.

 

[AuH20]

These miscreants will likely end up being made an example of . Sorry they had no person to tell them not to borrow from the gubmit .

This explains what happened.

http://youtu.be/U-apLT6Ot3s?t=2m4s

 

[tod evans]

I need to set up an advice column for youngsters .

I remember being "young".......

I knew everything then!

 

[nobody's_hero]

I need to set up an advice column for youngsters .

And they'd need to read it.

 

[asurfaholic]

I agree with everything else but that last part, they fuck us every day, sometimes you gotta share .....

So a person takes a personal loan to start a business then subsequently because the idea of the business was based on no foresight or plan, the business fails. So you think it's ok when this person says well damn this bank who is running a scam by offering loans to me when I could fail- I refuse to pay!

Of course not, this would be morally wrong and a crime Where the bank is a victim and deserving to be compensated.

Two wrongs don't make a right, you can't willingly take a service, even a government service, then willingly refuse to pay back according to the terms you agreed upon. This is also a crime, and like it or not, there is really a victim.

So if you are against the DOE don't take a loan from them then act all high and mighty once you realize YOU made a mistake.

I have no patience or sympathy for hypocrits. Fraud is fraud.

 

[asurfaholic]

too bad not everyone is as smart as you isn't it?...

government loves it when you fuck up, and then we get people like you defending the government....

would you say tuition is too low or too high?...

There's a difference between defending morals and defending the govt. Stealing is stealing. Two wrongs don't make a right, and I got no love for these morons who asked for a loan from the federal govt, then after they made poor college choices find themselves looking to get out of the mess THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN TO.

 

[phill4paul]

There's a difference between defending morals and defending the govt. Stealing is stealing. Two wrongs don't make a right, and I got no love for these morons who asked for a loan from the federal govt, then after they made poor college choices find themselves looking to get out of the mess THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN TO.

While I agree that a man should pay his debts I am against predatory lending that is encouraged by the government and its system. If the government had been completely out of this transaction then I would be in agreement. The public education system has been a brainwashing mind-fuck on this generation. 24/7 they were told that by going to college was the ticket to the good life. That there were jobs out there for them if they only had a college education.
Who here has not anticipated this? These companies made loans knowing that these loans could not be repaid because they have a bail-out waiting in the wings.

 

[Anti Federalist]

While I agree that a man should pay his debts I am against predatory lending that is encouraged by the government and its system. If the government had been completely out of this transaction then I would be in agreement. The public education system has been a brainwashing mind-fuck on this generation. 24/7 they were told that by going to college was the ticket to the good life. That there were jobs out there for them if they only had a college education.
Who here has not anticipated this? These companies made loans knowing that these loans could not be repaid because they have a bail-out waiting in the wings.

This.

And once again, the long suffering taxpayer is on the hook.

 

[Anti Federalist]

To current and former college students across the country, we say: we stand with you to demand the end of a higher education system that profits from all our dreams. Join our fight.

Insert "WANTS MOAR GOVERNMENT - MOAR GOVERNMENT" gif here.

 

[thoughtomator]

this is where the concept of odious debt comes into play

 

[jllundqu]

I'm just pissed that my student loans are at a high interest rate and my wife's from about 10 years ago are like 1.3%.... WTH?

 

[AuH20]

I'm just pissed that my student loans are at a high interest rate and my wife's from about 10 years ago are like 1.3%.... WTH?

Sounds like you have a political movement to start. Male rate equality.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

So a person takes a personal loan to start a business then subsequently because the idea of the business was based on no foresight or plan, the business fails. So you think it's ok when this person says well damn this bank who is running a scam by offering loans to me when I could fail- I refuse to pay!

Of course not, this would be morally wrong and a crime Where the bank is a victim and deserving to be compensated.

Two wrongs don't make a right, you can't willingly take a service, even a government service, then willingly refuse to pay back according to the terms you agreed upon. This is also a crime, and like it or not, there is really a victim.

So if you are against the DOE don't take a loan from them then act all high and mighty once you realize YOU made a mistake.

I have no patience or sympathy for hypocrits. Fraud is fraud.

Businesses can be liquidated to pay back lenders. Schooling can't. There are plenty of good criticisms of this bunch, but you've chosen (probably) the weakest one.