Totally comparable to working in the sugar cane fields 14 hours a day every week in 18th century Haiti as an indentured servant with no choice in the matter and no available alternatives

economies evolve. we no longer have an agrarian economy, we have OSHA, and labor unions. the nature of the work an indentured servant does today is different, but the economic bandage is exactly the same. you are getting hung up on comparing the types of work whereas I am comparing the economic similarities.

I thought you were literally homeless before going to school? Because if you were, you should have been eligible for Pell Grants.

Yup, sure did. But that was not enough to pay for both tuition and room and board. I took out loans for that. And the majority of my loan debt was from graduate school where there is no pell grant. I also had the misfortune of starting graduate school when they did away with subsidized loans for graduate students, which is why that figure is so high. interest is a bitch.

Also, you seem to have chosen to get multiple degrees for some reason.

A Master's degree is required for my profession.

My minimum monthly payment is nearly $1000 per month, and half of that is going towards interest. If I paid less I would never be able to pay the loan off. If I went into deferment the loan total would quickly balloon. so you see, my options are take any job that comes my way to repay my admission into the middle class or seek deeper and deeper into debt. not much of a choice I'd say.

that is some hardcore privilege you seem to be oblivious to.

while i am not denying my place is much more privileged than some, to call myself hardcore privileged is a little harsh. if I were hard core privileged i would have my degrees without having to make a small mortgage payment every month for it. I can see you have different views and I think that's great, but you will not change my mind as to the fact that debt is a new form of bondage. I urge you to read up on that subject if you are truly interested, although I have a feeling you aren't since you seem to have your mind made up.