For those of you who know me, you may have heard my incessant rants about the student loan industry. I am extremely excited to have been interviewed again by the St. Louis Beacon this week. Here is a link to my previous interview. Please note that my comment about never being able to have a family wasn't exactly expressed by me the way it appears in print...ahhh the joys of being quoted.
I can't get the link thing to work so here is the address to copy and paste: http://www.publicinsightstlouis.org/changes-in-student-loan-program-wont-help-recent-grads-struggling-to-find-work-and-repay-loans
Last week I received an interest statement saying that for one, just one of my loans, I had paid over $6000.00 in interest this past year. My blood pressure instantly began to boil as I realized I had actually paid over $15,000.00 in interest this year. I wanted to go on the rampage, but then became discouraged as I realized that my rampages never amounted to anything except my blood pressure rising.
This forced me to think about why I wanted the student loan industry (particularly the interest rates) reformed. Was it really about justice, or was it about me? What if I never personally benefit from my work? I had to decide whether I could be ok if that was the case. It is extremely difficult to admit that my sense of justice could be more about my justice, and that I might have to fight for something without any personal gain. I would instantaneously benefit (by saving hundreds of dollars a month)if Congress would undo all the damage and mess they created. When I think about how I'm impacted by student loans, I really have to be honest about something...my hardships are not the same as probably a significant number of borrowers. I have never (not that it couldn't happen) had to make the decision to pay this bill over that bill. I have been able to pay my monthly payments without sacrificing the true basic necessities. I have other sources of support like my family. If Brent and I have to eat dinner at their house every single night in order to make those payments-we can. I have a safety net. For me, these ridiculous interest rates are directly correlated to my comfort, my closet, the square footage of my house, what vacation I go on, and whether I get to eat out 3 nights a week instead of 1 or 2. With that knowledge I have decided to continue this mission with the full expectation that I will never reap the benefits. Aren't I noble?
I have absolutely no idea why God hasn't had the Today Show call me back, or why Oprah hasn't offered to get involved, or why all of the Senators and Representatives I've contacted haven't realized the ingenuity of my plans! Perhaps He wants me to actually feel this financial pain and unfairness for a long time so I don't forget. When I speak about unfairness, I'm not talking about paying back my loans, I'm talking about the obscene interest rates! Perhaps I will be a better advocate for other victims of this mess if my pain and struggle isn't temporary. I suppose it's possible that if all my loans were forgiven tomorrow I might forget about everyone else. I would at least try to think about everyone else while I was basking in the sun on some tropical vacation, or shoot up a little prayer in my new Audi A4 I was able to buy with my savings! I would totally remember what it was like to walk in their shoes...I would just be walking in cuter shoes!(I guess this kind of cancels out the "noble" comment.)
So I think it's safe to say that God probably has a reason for not letting me have what I want when I want it. I really don't know what it is. Perhaps it has nothing to do with me at all! What I know is that there is a serious financial crisis. Congress has created a disaster with the student loan industry. Something has to be done. Even if I don't personally get to save $450 a month because they changed my interest rates I am going to keep talking about it! I guess choosing to fight for this with a new attitude is a lesson in selfishness. It's so easy to fight for a cause that directly impacts you. It is so easy to turn a blind eye when something isn't your problem. I hope and pray that I don't lose the motivation to fight for something I believe is right.
No comments:
Post a Comment