Patty Hager: Degrees don’t guarantee jobs

Regarding the Oct. 11 Work & Money article “Student debt traps kids, parents for generations”: I likewise took out student loans amounting to $10,000 in the late 1980s.

Interest rates were high so my husband and I took out a conventional loan to pay it off sooner, which we did.

Parents need to caution their children regarding acquiring loans for college and also regarding fields to go into where there are no jobs available, making their degree useless.

I am so tired of people complaining they have these large loans to pay back after they graduate. Shame on them for even taking out loans they could not afford! I suggest they get a job and save that money to lower need for a loan or get a trade versus the degree or go to community college. But for goodness’ sake, stop whining and consider what those large loans are ultimately going to cost them down the road. A student loan must be paid back. Common sense!

If they cannot afford to do that, they should consider getting a trade. A degree no longer means they will get a job these days.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Patty Hager: Degrees don’t guarantee jobs."