, Columnist
Tax Evasion or Student Debt? The US Chose the Wrong Crackdown
The federal government is treating those who default on their college loans more harshly than those who cheat on their taxes.
It’s only fair.
Photographer: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg
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The federal government restarted forced collections this week on student loans in default. Thus comes to an end a five-year experiment, started during the pandemic, to pause loan payments — and a squandered opportunity to reconsider the government’s role as a lender in postsecondary education.
After all, questions continue to swirl around both college and debt: Do 18-year-olds understand the financial risks they are taking on? Does tuition reflect the services provided? In short, is college still worth the investment?