I’ve chimed in on this before, but I graduated OSU in 2002 with 14k in debt. Parents paid my first year, used loans + part time (full time summer) job doing tech support for a wonderful $8 an hour to support myself. The rate was something ridiculous like 2.5%. Paid it off in about five years by avoiding big cc debt and living with roommates for three of those years before buying a house in pville for $125k.
Moved to Austin in 02 to work tech support here for an excellent $13/hour. Slowly worked my way up the food chain, but have tempered my career ambitions due to kids and having a wonderful boss that allows incredible work/life balance, which is worth a lot to me.
Unlike a lot of boomers, I recognize I had it good. Smaller loan at a low rate, bought a nice starter home at an affordable price on a FIXED (phew) mortgage in 2005, owned a sweet 97 Prelude and motorcycle, garage had a beer fridge and full size Area 51 arcade cabinet. Life was sweet.
I can’t imagine getting the same degree for $70k, that same house is now approx $400k despite being 17 years older, and I’m sure that same phone gig hasn’t gone up anywhere near 3-5x in salary…I’m barely touching that after 20 years as a senior PM.
Give those folks some money and stop bitching about corner cases. The world is very different now. Much better use of government funds than that bullshit ‘middle class tax break’ that I supposedly benefited from.
/rant