Fighting student debt by commuting to school from home?

This is one of my tentative plans for my kids, actually:

…when Mr. Obama said that as “the glow” of college graduation fades students confront the reality of their student loan burden, he missed the opportunity to suggest a creative solution. Instead of arguing for easing graduates’ debt burden, it would be better if there were less or even no loans to repay.

One way to do that would be for students to stay home. Not staying out of college, mind you. Just opting for your bedroom at home rather than getting a dorm room on campus. Living at home will lower your debt burden.

I live in a region where there are perfectly respectable schools within driving range.  My children can attend one: and live in rather better conditions by staying at home, instead of a Brutalist monstrosity of a dorm complex.  That they will also have slightly fewer opportunities for either binge drinking or random fornication is frankly a feature in my eyes, not a bug.

Yes, yes, I know: I am a horrible hypocrite.  Your point?

Via Instapundit.

Moe Lane

PS: They get a full ride, they can go where they want. And if they want to go fully on the hook for the student loans, well, I’ll argue with them up to the point where they sign on the dotted line. But if I am expected to cosign then it’s going to be on my terms.

9 thoughts on “Fighting student debt by commuting to school from home?”

  1. Moe:
    .
    This reminds me of a quote I read somewhere (maybe Jonah in “Cliches”)that went something like this: “If you are not a hypocrite, you are not being a good parent.”
    .
    Also fits into my philosophy of, “If my children don’t scream at me at least once – ‘I HATE YOU’ – then I have done something wrong.”

    1. The standard call-and-response around my house:
      Calls: “Why?”
      CHORUS: “Because Daddy’s mean!”

  3. Having done both, I .. am entirely in favor of your plans, Mr. Lane.
    .
    Mew
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    .
    p.s. Junior Cat should be picking up an associates from a commuter-college Any Year Now …

  4. I went to a local university and am reasonably well adjusted and have a good job, despite not having those on-campus opportunities for drinking, drugs, etc.

    I also had a JOB during college.

  6. I started working and saving full time one week after High School. That was thirty five years ago. No loans, massive debts etc. Not for everybody but it’s worked for me and my wife.

  7. One way to do that would be for students to stay home.

    And take care of the General Ed requirements at the community college level or through CLEP exams, and don’t work towards a worthless degree and have a plan for paying back any loans with something better than “other people will provide.”

  8. I’m trying that right now. And I’m using a 98 SUV so, gas is very expensive.

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