MI School Will Help Grads on Low Incomes Repay Loans

It'll provide 'peace of mind' in a tough job market, says school prez

A small liberal arts school in Michigan is doing its part to soften the student loan blow by promising to help repay loans for graduates facing obstacles in the job market.

Spring Arbor University, a Christian school of 4,000 students about two hours west of Detroit, is launching a program that "guarantees that students and their parents get help in repaying loans if a graduate's income fails to meet certain benchmarks," reports the local press. The catch: students must be working at least 30 hours per week to qualify.

Spring Arbor University President Charles Webb hopes the plan will provide students as well as parents "peace of mind" in a job market particularly rough for folks in their twenties.

The plan would appear to lack one potentially fruitful idea floated by Florida Gov. Rick Scott last year: linking loan costs - or in this case, loan help - to the employment rates associated with certain majors. As Newser described it, "Anthropology majors...may pay higher tuition than science majors."

Via clickondetroit.com and Newser.

Should more colleges help their former students on low incomes to repay loans?

[Rocker]

I voted yes but I'm not aware of the conditions. I know that while my children were in college the yearly increases ranged from 600 to 900 bucks a year for various and sundry things. I always thought that they weren't making an effort to hold costs down. So for that and the colleges helping out on the costs that they helped incur, the post subject is rational. Especially in a depressed economy. IMHO

[mudpike]

Wow - Liberal Arts . So what do they graduate at our expense to become ? Fork lift operators or community organizers like BO's claim to fame . With sincere apologies to all fork lift operators.( I once ran them , far more dignified position than telling dopers where to get free needles , free condoms or where to get free gubmint handouts)

[stepped_in_it]

Hey, I once drove a wheel chair disability van......did that make me a folk's lift operator? ;-)

[falco_alba]

A liberal arts college offers more than just liberal arts degrees. Just saying.

[mudpike]

@stepped_in_it - Funny, heck yea as I see it . Still better than a community organizer. In fairness , why don't they have 'conservative arts' or even 'moderates arts'? Reckon i just don't like that liberal soundin' stuff.

[stepped_in_it]

@mudpike HMMM.....'Tea Party Arts' look like Van Gogh on LSD.

[NormalFlora]

Read the whole article. This is a CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS liberal arts school. The school knows that a "christian" college degree is as useless as a left-handed football bat, so their marketing department came up with this ploy to soften the blow.

[harold_lloyd]

I'll make a prediction of the furure...

Somehow, these kids are going to be relieved of the excessive burden of student loans.

Not out of charity or kindness, but because they will be a huge drag on the economy if we don't.

[Clarke12]

the kids should be required to work as well as hold a certain grade-point average. do not turn this into another free entitlement, a la the federal government. give some to get some.

[culinary]

It says they have to be working 30 hours per week.

[OhWiseOne]

Why don't the lefty loons just catch them as they fly out of their mother's womb and take care of them until they die? Loyal Dems forever!

[stepped_in_it]

Baseball catchers all over the country have a life long job after a semi-successful career?

[fayban]

Not fair to only help only low income students. Make tuition lower for all students.

[Knightkore]

Shhh.....you're making too much sense.....they won't get it.....well the progressive liberals won't.....

[norezen]

Where are they getting the money to help repay the loans in the first place? If they are making that much money off tuition maybe they should look into lowering it.

[stepped_in_it]

Better plan than to repossess their education!

[Fishbone345]

I wonder if there is opportunity as an Education Repo Man?

[stepped_in_it]

@Fishbone345 HMMM......hooking up the tow truck would be tricky. What kinda impound lot would work, one with a lot of X-Box's and PS3's?

[Fishbone345]

@stepped_in_it I do believe we've found our calling.

[culinary]

I personally think higher eduation should be free.

[jaybebo84]

Everyone is focusing on this being a liberal arts college and misses the second paragraph where it states it is a Christian college...this college is doing what God intended them to do and help the less fortunate...agreed college costs are astronomical and needs to be more affordable to everyone...but this college is taking a Christian outlook and helping those actually in need...

[mudzangandoro]

As long as that loan goes straight to the school.

[Dan_Tien]

A Christian liberal arts college... must be where politicians go to school and learn that the earth is only 6000 years old. My guess is that they are making this offer in order to attract more students so that they can stay in business.

[stephen]

just something else the tax payers can pay for!!!!

[Fishbone345]

It's a private university. Did you read the article?

[jessejaymes]

Before I answer the question, does the student have to listen to praying over them?

[rkinsawjoe]

Indeed, they do. Compulsory chapel service is held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:10 a.m. There are also groups and events designed to grow the spiritual life of students. So now you know why these grads are having such a hard time getting good jobs, They opted for the bozo education plan.

[jessejaymes]

@rkinsawjoe I just knew that was the catch.

[tomincali]

seems to me cutting back on so many new people coming to the USA would solve their job finding problems,gov idea of helping folks here find jobs is flooding the job market with millions of imports while dumping on citizens .

[NormalFlora]

And the Cleveland Browns would win the Superbowl if there weren't all those pesky other teams to compete against. If Americans are less desirable in the job market than new immigrants, that's NOT the fault of the new immigrants!

[tomincali]

@NormalFlora so you are saying it is ok to bring in folks who will under cut the wages of citizens,to the point of newly grad are sitting doing nothing or doing something lower than their skill levels so someone who wants to come here.

all we have to do is look back when we were not bringing in so many and see what we had,workers could have a say in the pay one parent was able to work while the other stayed home. seems to me we as a people was better off before bringing in millions. the gov disagrees and will cook the books to say it does not hurt American citizens.

all know when you flood a market no matter what it is even if produce the price goes down same applies to all lines of work. like saying we did not have engineers yet that reporter pointed out that those who just graduated cannot find work in their fields of study yet imports in the same line have jobs waiting on them here stepping over the citizens.

have to check if there is any kind of tax credit or some other break for hiring other than citizens,if so that is a huge problem that needs to be done away with. i may be old yet see all things if you do not put your own first you are going against them all.

so you are saying that a new immigrant should get the job just because he wants to come here and work?

[NormalFlora]

@tomincali said "so you are saying that a new immigrant should get the job just because he wants to come here and work"
Yes, that's what I'm saying. Or did you really, really want to pick those strawberries yourself?

[NormalFlora]

@tomincali And in terms of college grads, if the Asian college grad graduated Summa cum Laude and the American born grad scraped by with a C average, the Asian deserves the job. That's called a "free market." Remember that term?

[tomincali]

@NormalFlora college grads usually do not pick fruit. i see something wrong when we take away from our own and give to others.makes no sense to have folks fresh ourt of school unemployed do to bring someone else here when the job could be filled here by a citizen.

[scotta]

It will just increase the cost of their classes. Why should they do it for low income grads, but not doing for all the students.

[Brownie]

People always try to find bad in everything. Complain about student loans, complain about not have a Christian (conservatives) school. But, when you have a school giving back. Some of y'all still crying.

[texas_cutie75]

I think its great that the school can give back like that to their alumni! Great job!!

[chiefevans706]

No one paid for my degree not even student loans. Pay them for what because the students were sold on a liberal arts degree.

[Jamesa1019]

Here's an idea, don't get a degree with a soft job market in the outcome. My sister who is 22 got her bachelors for history restoration. While I'm proud of her for getting that degree, where the hell will she put it to use!? It's been a year, and no job. She's not going to receive a "bail out" and shouldn't. It was her decision to persue that field.

[RedFloppyShoes]

And this is another reaso why Michigan is going broke