[jimbokun]

Then don't go to school and just start your startup.

This conversation is about government backed education loans. It's not clear why the US government should be issuing education loans at all, let alone issuing them to students who are very unlikely to pay them back. Or at least have their real income greatly curtailed for decades by loan payments.

If you just want to get an education for personal reasons, figure out how to pay for it on your own without relying on taxpayers.

[twoodfin]

Well, from some policy makers' point of view, having a substantial fraction of the citizenry owe the government tens of thousands of dollars it alone has the power to forgive might be a very appealing bit of leverage.