[cmdrfred]

>mainly targets people with debt who can't pay it back - like people who are seriously disabled and can't get a job - you would likely be subsidizing people less privileged than you, which is a good thing.

So if I become disabled, will you be paying my mortgage?

[thepompano]

I'm not sure if I'd be paying your mortgage per se, but I'd be paying for whatever benefits you receive through the Social Security Adminstration's Disability Benefits program. But even if I was, why would that be controversial? Why should the government not provide aid to people who are virtually derelict?

[cmdrfred]

Don't college educated people also receive social security benefits? Why should they receive more benefits over someone who isn't college educated?

[thepompano]

I would think that the program is meant to extend help to people who pursued a college-education, took out $30k worth of loans, worked hard, and became disabled or otherwise unable to procure employment post-hoc. For example, people who pursued computer science degrees and then got into car accidents and incurred traumatic brain injury (use your imagination).

I take your position to be that 1. you're in favor of providing financial support to people on disability, but 2. concerned that college-educated people on disability potentially stand to qualify for more benefits than non-college-educated people on disability.

If this program's stated intent was to fully subsidize education for people who would definitely not be able to procure work in their academic area of focus (like subsidizing music degrees for deaf people or whatever), I would concede that the program would be economically counter-productive. Otherwise I think the government should extend more financial assistance to people who are at greater risk of ruin.

[CoryG89]

If you become disabled, then you do get the opportunity to receive subsidized help in the form of disability.