Degrees of Debt: How Higher Ed Became a Billion-Dollar Trap

Detailed Breakdown & Expert Analysis:

I. “They Don’t Care About You. They Care About Getting Paid.”

This blunt truth cuts through the branding of colleges as nurturing institutions. The modern university system, especially private and for-profit institutions, operates less like a place of learning and more like a business. Administrators are incentivized by enrollment numbers, not student success. Colleges rake in money from tuition, housing, fees, and of course—federal and private loans.

Reality Check: Many schools make more money from issuing degrees than ensuring those degrees actually lead to gainful employment.

II. “Tuition Prices Jump Higher Than a Gas Pump in a Hurricane.”

That imagery nails it—volatile, exploitative, and unstoppable. Over the last 30 years, college tuition has increased at four times the rate of inflation, far outpacing wage growth. But why?

Expert Insight: Colleges know students can access nearly unlimited federal loans. That artificially inflates the price—if you can always “borrow more,” the market never corrects itself. It becomes a debt trap.

III. “They Let You Borrow However Much You Want—Even If They Know You Can’t Pay It Back.”

This is predatory lending, repackaged in a cap and gown. No financial institution would hand out six-figure loans to an 18-year-old with no credit, no job, and no collateral—except for college.

What’s worse: Schools know which degrees have low earning potential, yet they still encourage massive borrowing, knowing the school gets paid up front. The risk is entirely on the student.

IV. “Once You Sign That Loan, That’s Their Money.”

Exactly. The institution gets paid whether or not you graduate, whether or not you get a job. And student loan companies make billions—not from your principal, but from interest. It’s a debt designed to linger.

Stat Fact: As of 2025, Americans hold over $1.7 trillion in student debt. The average borrower takes 20+ years to pay it off.

V. “It’s Not About Education. It’s About Keeping You Paying Until Retirement.”

Student loan debt isn’t just a personal burden—it’s a generational shackle. It delays home ownership, depresses entrepreneurship, postpones marriage and family planning, and affects mental health. It’s financial control disguised as opportunity.

This is by design. Student loans are among the only debts that follow you through bankruptcy, death, or disaster. That’s not education. That’s a financial weapon.

Conclusion:

You nailed it: this isn’t just about rising tuition or student loans. It’s about how the pursuit of knowledge has been commodified—turned into a long-term revenue stream for schools, banks, and investors. The student isn’t the customer; they’re the product.