Those are basically the ones that have been used. However I'd replace "Gender" with "Sex", although Gender could be a consideration. Being a Military Veteran, loss of Job due to some structural change, probably more reasons could be used as well.
Seems sensible enough. What would the other criteria be? The only three I can come up with right off hand is gender, which might be problematical, financial standing, and race. Are there others?
Unsecured loans are a thing. Banks actually lend these. They make a profit off of them. Or else they wouldn't make these loans.
Although anecdotal, I have a few close family members who work for universities. One of them has held a high level administrative position. He tells me he could immediately cut the budget by 15% without affecting a single student's education quality. Given time, he thinks he could cut it by much, much more. He cites the main reason that cost is so high is a "use it or lose it" threat attached to the budget in any given year. It massively penalizes a department for not spending money that it doesn't need to spend. So they find ways to spend the money, no matter how wasteful, out of fear of losing budget they might need next year.
Entrance Requirements determine adequacy, not "Best". This obsession with "Merit" is rather odd, especially when "Merit" is defined solely on who is "Best".
Yours specifically?That's great. Think she'll cancel my mortgage debt too?
1) Provide education with full rides to the top 10-20% of students at every high school. I believe GWB put this in place during his time as governor or Texas.
2) Limit the amount that can be borrowed - even from private sources - for college. This applies downward pressure on rising college costs.
3) Make students loans bankruptable. Give the lenders some skin in the game. Make them have to assume risk to make the loans. As it is it's another example of 'privatized profit/socialized risk' that we see so often in the financial industry.
Community colleges do not offer four year degrees so that's not really an answer. The right answer to all of this is to eliminate student loans and return to publicly funding all expenses at public universities for those with the ability to get in.
All student loans were was an attempt by the baby boomers to escape responsibility for paying to educate their children. The boomers are seriously the worst generation in American history. Total freeloaders.
No to #1. Can give countless examples of high school kids who weren't in the top 10%-20% of their class who were far more intelligent and far better off in life ten+ years down the road. Grades are not the best indicator of potential - only an indicator that one can take a test and test well.
Studies have shown that community college have better levels of instruction than four year colleges and the funny thing about community college is that you can go for two years, and then transfer to a four year school. My nephew did just that. He is the only one of my eight nieces and nephews not drowning in college debt because he chose to live at home, do community college and attend the local state four year in his town. He graduated debt free and was immediately employed. I mentioned this to another relative and was told "But he didn't get to enjoy the full college experience!"... Which I guess is going into debt for those first two years of school and experiencing dorm life, etc. Yeah, I bet he regrets that.