[bvw]

Yes. Pay for performance. The lenders and schools would be far more careful to produce a marketable quantity, and also to enroll students of integrity, and most importantly --

to create a student life environment which inculcates responsibility in carry out obligations.

[Arguendo]

That’s not really practical. How exactly can lenders judge whether an 18-year-old applying to college has integrity (that will last 20 years and dissuade him from filing for bankruptcy without a really good reason at any point in the future)?

And besides, student loans can be discharged in extreme circumstances, such as if you become disabled and are no longer able to use the degree you borrowed to finance.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I disagree - a diploma can’t be taken back - if you borrow the money to pay for the education, you owe that money until it is paid. Unlike a car or a house, which can be repossessed if you fail to pay, a diploma enables you to find employment.

[AD from SpringBay]

...to create a student life environment which inculcates responsibility in carry out obligations...

An education witout morality is anything but. Not paying for one's debts used to be called stealing - now we hear a generation of liberal artists cry that being expected to pay one's debts is simply not fair and should be written off.

[raybbr]

Here's a little editorial you might find interesting: Commentary of the Day - January 28, 2009: Economic Crisis Hits Higher Education Hard.

I emailed the guy and he responded. I disagreed and tried to explain that it was over-availablity of money that drove college tuition up.