There is a growing problem of defaults on student loans. The student and the college are the two parties to a loan. Therefore, the government should not be involved. The government is funded by taxpayers, and taxpayers cannot control the process, so they should not have to pay for a defaulting graduate who borrowed more than he can pay off.

There are several issues that come into play here. They include fairness, responsibility, and reality.

Fairness: Give everyone the same chance through tests and other factors. The school sets these parameters,

which include financial responsibility.

Responsibility of the student. They have the burden to meet the financial requirements to attend and

study at the college.

Responsibility of the college. They are responsible for providing a strong and useful education for the student's future.

Reality of expectations. Not everyone can go to the first prestigious university they can think of.

There are many good community colleges, parochial schools and trade schools to meet the student's needs.

A student loan is like any other loan, such as a car loan or a mortgage. You set the terms up front,

and you continue to make payments plus interest until completion. If you need to change the amount of your payment, your loan servicer is ready to help. They can put you into a more comfortable payment arrangement.

Today there is a degree of a laissez faire attitude on the part of the universities. It’s safe to bet that pressure will build on these institutions to address student loan debt as their problem too, and not merely for their students to fend for themselves. Congress may act on this issue in the next session.

There is a creeping increase in the attitude that people can make poor choices because the government is always there to bail them out. This idea of "too big to fail" is spreading out through our economy like warm Black Strap Molasses. It"s a sticky mess.

You can't blame the student population entirely, given the lessons this administration has taught us. They say that General Motors is too big to fail, so we taxpayers must bail them out. They say that large banks are too big to fail, and we must bail them out. Our leaders forget that the government is we the citizens who are on the hook.

It is time to put stricter qualifications for students to get these loans. The student and the university are the parties to this contract. The taxpayers are not a third party in this contract, so they should be left out. Enough is enough.