Why Is There a Price Tag On My American Dream? An Analysis of Student Loan Debt and the Failure of Policy in Educating the Youth

For my senior thesis, I am discussing how the United States came to be in $1.56 trillion dollars in student loan debt due to past student loan forgiveness policies. These policies, that have all stemmed from "good intentions", have ultimately caused students to be drowning in debt today. I explain how within the last two decades, debt has reached a ultimate high through the administrations of President Bush, President Obama and President Trump. In addition, I explain the overall lack of awareness students have for the current student debt crisis. I conduct a Union College campus survey to test the awareness Union students have for their own loans and basic financial terms. The survey results bring me to endorse financial education. Specifically, I argue that a financial literacy class should be state-mandated in order to graduate high school to best educate students on their loans before attending college. I finish with concluding thoughts and hope for the future.