It's Criminal: The College-Educated Poor

Several short, first-person accounts of young adults who are, unfortunately, starting their married and/or working lives with a mountain of college debt.

I'm guessing that most of these folks, who chose to live beyond their means, probably didn't receive wise counsel from their elders. In fact, they were probably told that an expensive college degree would net them a financially-secure job which would help them pay off their debt.

But most of these sob stories also cause me to shake my head. Like the fella who won't marry his girlfriend because he can't afford a "decent" engagement ring. Or the gal who also has credit card debt and also elected to attend a pricey school.

I will never understand why those who don't have the means to do so, won't humbly bow their necks, go to their local, very affordable community college ... at least for the first two years of their undergraduate experience.

I do appreciate the honest accounts, though. Perhaps they will act as a deterrent to others eager to sign their souls away to receive a (taxpayer-subsidized) Perkins, Stafford, or PLUS loan.

Sidebar: Rep. Josh Cockroft, a homeschool grad who serves in the OK legislature, criticizes tuition hikes at the Sooner State's colleges. “It saddens me that the individual who recommended these significant tuition increases has no idea of the hardships ordinary Oklahomans are facing,” Cockroft said. “Chancellor (Glen) Johnson makes almost $400,000 a year.” Johnson, the Machiavellian-style bureaucrat who championed the hikes, is head of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education and the son of a congressman. Talk about connected and out-of-touch. You, go, Josh!