Interview with Robert Skiff about Solving the Student Loan Crisis

Robert Skiff is the founder of Oplerno, an online educational institution whose aim is to restructure higher education. He interviewed me last Saturday to discuss my book, the student loan crisis, and other issues that relate to higher education.

Founder of a For-Profit Heading to Jail for Fraud

There is something quite satisfying about this ruling - a judge ruled that the founder of FastTrain, Alejandro Amor, was guilty of stealing money via federal loans his school received ($35 million).  FastTrain was a proprietary school in Florida, but closed in 2012. 3 other employees before Amor were also sentenced to jail time. While it's true that this sort of ruling is unusual, I'd also say it's promising.

It also suggests to me that raising hell about these schools and their practices is making a difference.

Sometimes public outrage pays off.  

Student Debtors - Want Free Land and a New Start . . . In Russia?

Many Americans are not only joking about moving out of the country if Trump wins, but are seriously considering it. Of course, I am basing the latter assertion on anecdotal comments from Facebook. On top of that, there are even dating sites, such as Maple Match, that are being launched in the event that people want to find both love and a way to Canada if he takes office.  I can only presume we'll see more dating apps of this sort appear as we near Election Day.

Recently, an article popped up in my Facebook feed about Russia offering free land (2.5 acres) in a remote area of the country. Originally, Russia was only offering this to Russians in the original bill, and namely because they were hoping  more "ethnic Russians" would relocate to this region. As the article points out, "ethnic Russians" is code for "European Russians" versus all the other folks who are also Russian.

The new bill is now offering free land to those outside of Russia, however. The article states, "[This] new bill to be passed next week contains a clause allowing foreign citizens to apply for land as well. Foreign nationals will be allowed to use the land on lease from the state for a period of five years."

Many of you have told me that you have fled the country and are in self-imposed exile in other parts of the world, something I note extensively in my recently published book.

So, what do you think, student loan debtors, would you move to Russia, to the remotest part of the country, and also eventually become naturalized to (potentially) escape student loan debt? Just curious. 

College Grads - Class of 2016 Wins The Prize! You Are Graduating With The Most Student Loan Debt Ever

Welp, just as I said in my book (available now in paperback and Kindle), the class of 2016 has beaten the class of 2015. They have the highest level of student loan debt ever, surpassing previous graduating classes. Based upon the articles I've read, those who are currently receiving their diplomas seem unaware of what will soon follow when they join the ranks of the indentured educated class. But once their payments hit, the reality of Higher Ed Inc, and how it has hurt them and their families - as well as their futures -  will most likely sink in. I feel for them, just as I have with every graduating class that joins our ranks. It's unjust, outrageous, and absurd that we have done this to young people, all as a result of the financialization of debt via Higher Ed Inc. 

Reader Response to Solving the Student Loan Crisis: Dreams, Diplomas & a Lifetime of Debt

People are beginning to reach out and let me know their thoughts about my book, Solving the Student Loan Crisis: Dreams Diplomas & a Lifetime of Debt (available in paperback and on Kindle). 

Late on Friday, after an exhausting and difficult day at work (there were multiple shootings that occurred within miles of my office on Friday by one man), I was coming home after a lovely meal out near DuPont Circle at a fantastic Turkish restaurant called Agora. (DC locals, if you haven't checked out Agora yet, I highly recommend it). Anyway, this past week had been long, hard, tiring - there is so much going on professionally that I almost cancelled this dinner at Agora, but at the same time I knew that was not the right thing to do and I had a good feeling that I'd also enjoy myself. You know how those things go. We've all been there. You know when you need to be around good company and have a face-to-face conversation with someone. So, I did go, despite it being rainy, and my mood being rattled after those shootings, along with everything else that had gone on during my long, arduous work week.

As I said, it turned out to be an outstanding evening, just the thing I needed to end such a tasking week. (Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to have long and challenging work weeks, but by Friday evening, I am ready to hide away, snack on popcorn, and binge watch Netflix).

In any event, after a great and rather deep conversation about all sorts of topics, I wound up on the Metro at 10:30 PM. That's when I received an email from Matt, who is a reader of AEM. The subject heading was: "Solving the Student Loan Crisis -- thank you!!"

As soon as I sat down in my seat, I opened his email and began to read it. Here's what Matt wrote:

Dear Ms. Johanssen [sic],


I want to thank you from my heart for writing a book that speaks truth to power.

I received my copy of Solving the Student Loan Crisis last night, and halfway through I already love it. I will leave a review on Amazon soon, and recommend it to friends and family as often as I can. It is a book that needs to be read by people all over America.

I started following your blog recently and immediately gravitated to your writing style, your humor, and especially the way you humanize the student loan crisis. I know how it feels to struggle under the weight of massive student loan debt. (Mine is thanks to the infamous Thomas Jefferson School of Law.) And I truly appreciate how open you've been about your experience because it really, really helps the rest of us not feel so alone and powerless.

Your blog (and now your book, too) has helped inspire me to take my first steps towards being a student loan activist, instead of remaining a student loan defeatist. Please know that your voice really matters, and most of all please keep writing!

Best regards,

Matt

I was so overcome with emotion by Matt's kind words that I got a bit teary-eyed. I later wrote to him and told him that I am hoping that my book will combat defeatist attitudes about our predicament, and that I was delighted that he understood the message I'm conveying in my book.

Thoughts?