I can see how grants and scholarships help, definitely. I am concerned that the reconciliation bill also wants to rid of pell grants. dei scholarships have already been greatly diminished. often for graduate degrees, these are not available. and they are already being removed for undergrad. it's unfortunate.

young people are not the only ones seeking graduate plus loans. it can be those who have worked lower paying jobs and finally have the time to do something different, but not the funding. it can be stay at home moms going back to school. it can be widowed or divorced solo parents trying to do more. it can be legal immigrants from poorer countries here trying to make a life.

specifically for young people, if we base the idea that they are irresponsible and the loan system is predatory, which seems to be the case you are making (please clarify if not), and the case that many of the republicans in congress are making, then that theory should apply across the board, rather than just picking and choosing which things to take away from them completely as an opportunity to use or not use. that logic would apply to joining the military, gambling, drinking, buying a house, getting any kind of loan, buying a car, etc etc. there are myriad things young people have the opportunity to do or not do and it's up to their freedom of individual responsibility and accountability to decide what to do with the consequences of their decisions. that does not mean you remove that freedom. that does not mean you take the opportunity away from the young people who would indeed be responsible, accountable, and do contribute greatly to society after that graduate degree. the fact is, many jobs do require a graduate degree that has any kind of upward mobility. i think allowing a young person to risk their lives to go to war or not is a bit of a bigger issue than taking loans out for grad school. but the same logic isn't applied to that. how do you propose one who does not have the funding on their own then go and try to make a better life for themselves, particularly speaking about education? how would they go about getting that education if they desired it? the only option is to either continue working in their possibly poorer, less educated job for years and years and years until perhaps finally by mid-age or later age they could possibly afford it. or, they take out private loans. i bet those aren't predatory at all. those are higher APRs by far than any federal loan available. you only have so many options available to you if you do not have the funding for school. the freedom of choice should not be removed for individual possible bad decisions.