Ask Judge Mathis

With a few special exceptions, the more education an individual has the more money they will earn over the course of their lives.  And most Americans realize that. So much so that they scrimp and save to put support their children – or themselves – through college. Even those who don’t feel that college is accessible to them realize post-secondary education and training is critical, so they go on to a trade or professional school. Despite our collective realization that education is the key to long-term financial stability, many Americans have very little faith in the nation’s college and university systems and believe that they function more like corporations and less like institutions there to serve and help develop our country’s future workers.  

A recent study by the found that while, ten years ago, 45 percent of Americans thought college was available to the majority of students that number has now dropped to 28 percent. Today, parents and students think education is too expensive and that schools are far too concerned with their bottom line than they are whether or not students are getting the most of out their education.  

Over the course of their working life, the average high school graduates can expect to earn $1.2 million while an individual with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn $2.1 million. This huge gap in lifetime income clearly illustrates the benefits – and need – for higher education. Graduates aren’t the only ones who benefit, though. The larger society prospers because the workforce will be better prepared and workers earning higher incomes go on to pay additional tax dollars, money that can then go to fund federal programs. 

It is discouraging, and alarming, to realize that the public has very little faith in the higher education system. Over time, as the trust erodes, so too will the enthusiasm to pursue education after high school. When the desire fades, enrollment will begin to fall, setting off a chain reaction that puts our nation’s workforce and economy at great risk. 

The best way to dispel this pessimism and rebuild the trust is to first do a better job of communicating with parents and students about university life and the options available to them. We must pressure policymakers to make college more accessible by expanding federal grant programs and offering loan forgiveness programs for students who enter public service, commit to working in under served communities or enter fields where there are staffing shortages. And universities and colleges must begin to view themselves not as businesses their to earn a profit but as organizations designed to uplift students and – tomorrow’s workforce – and prepare them for the future.

Last fall, the Obama administration, with support of House Democrats, revealed a plan that would overhaul the way student loans were disbursed to college students.  Instead of receiving loans from banks and other lenders students would, under the proposed plan, receive funds directly from the federal government.  The plan would save the nation $80 billion in fees, charged by the lenders that service student loans, over ten years. The savings would then be used to increase Pell Grants to students, help forgive loans for students going into public service, assist community colleges and provide early childhood learning programs and modernize public school facilities.
Facing the possibility of losing a significant source of revenue, banks are pulling out all the stops to make sure the bill never becomes law. Lenders have spent millions of dollars in recent months holding public town-hall meetings and private meetings with legislators to make their case. Using scare tactics, they are telling lawmakers that students may default on their student loans more frequently because the counseling lenders provide would no longer be a part of the loan process. The banks say that, in the long run students and the government would be hurt if the bill was passed.
It’s interesting how these major banks – bailed out to the tune of over $700 billion in 2009 – are now, in effect bailing out on the nation’s students. Cutting out these middle man, which the banks are, does not hurt students at all. In fact, getting the money directly will reduce the amount of interest students pay over the life of the loan. Students, and the nation, will benefit as educational programs are expanded, using the savings such a change will bring. This is about money, plain and simple: lenders want to make sure this revenue stream stays alive.
Banks are in business to preserve their bottom line; not necessarily to care about the education of our student’s. As a nation, we must work to make sure their big budget lobbying efforts do not pay off. Call your federal lawmakers and let them know that federal student loans must go directly students. Ask that they cut out the middle man. The banks may have money to spend on lobbying, but we can use our voices to make a difference. You can find contact information for you legislators by visiting http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. 

Just a few days after an earthquake rocked the impoverished nation of Haiti, the Obama administration, moved to provide a new status for Haitian immigrants currently living illegally in U.S. Known as temporary protected status, this designation will protect illegal Haitian immigrants from deportation for at least a year and a half.  Under this new status, individuals who once had to work under the table and hide from the government will be allowed to apply for jobs, receive government funds to finance their education and more. In short, they can lead the types of lives they came to the U.S. looking for.

While this is a good first step, the administration needs to go further by opening doors of legal immigration to those in Haiti who need to flee the devastated nation and not just to those who are here already.  During the Vietnam War, tens of thousands of Vietnamese came to our shore seeking refuse and we opened our doors to them. In the 80s, thousands of Cubans came to the U.S. to flee the allegedly oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. More recently, during the 1998 conflict in the Balkans, the U.S. welcomed refugees from Kosovo and fast tracked their status.  

What has been done before, for those in other countries devastated by war or natural disaster, should be done for Haitians seeking a new start. Haiti has a rich history but it is currently in a state of turmoil. Even before the earthquake, the average Haitian struggled to find jobs and to support their families. With so much destroyed, life in the country will only get harder.

As Americans, we talk so much about the good we do around the world. Indeed, we provide funds and aid to countries in need.  Even though we are in the midst of an economic crisis, the U.S. is still one of the most privileged nations on the planet. We are in a position to help.  This country can and should develop and expedite a plan to bring Haitians in need of a new life to the U.S.