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Help needed for students buried in debt
The Gazette Opinion Staff
Jun. 7, 2010 12:15 am
Regarding the recent letter written about
undocumented students trapped by the system. My children are U.S. citizens. I am a registered nurse and my husband is a carpenter. We are considered middle class. Our expected family contribution to my son's tuition according to the federal government is more than some people make in a year. We qualify for parent PLUS loans and Stafford loans only. Parent PLUS loans are 8.25 percent interest. We do not qualify for federal grant money or work study.
It is not uncommon for students to graduate from a four-year college with $100,000 in student loans. Some extend the repayment period for 30 years in order to get by.
Perhaps before we reform the immigration laws and send the
undocumented students to college for free we should take care of our own students who are future leaders of our communities.
Katie Schwartzhoff
Cedar Rapids
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