Anyone can move a mountain.....

Anyone can move a mountain…. I remember singing it in fifth grade. “Anyone can move a mountain, if one really tries.” I think that’s how it starts. But it's the underlying message that sticks in my mind. "You can do anything you want in life, so long as you try hard enough." This is the mantra we are taught from an early age and most of us spend the rest of our lives doing our very best to overcome each, and every, obstacle that stands in our way.

We are also told that opportunities are limitless and we should pursue something we love because it will bring us contentment and happiness, followed by recognition and success.

Just how does one move a mountain?

Can't do it physically -- at least not without some serious earth-moving equipment at our disposal -- so we accept that the song is a metaphor about overcoming resistance through persistence. What the song doesn’t tell us is that moving a mountain depends on more than brute force, it requires personal sacrifice. Often, we must compromise and accept setbacks in order to fulfill our ideals. And all too frequently, we don't even come close to realizing our hopes and dreams. I suppose wisdom comes from not moving the mountain, but learning how to circumvent it.

You may have heard... there are some conflicting conversations about higher education floating around the Web these days. One is that students should pursue their dreams, whatever the cost. The other message insists that students should develop practical or technical skills instead of following lofty learning ideals. This dichotomy is something that I sensed during my journey through higher education. Here is my story…

I thought I did everything right. I began my B.A. in 1997 and received a full tuition scholarship from my undergrad institution. This school also gave me 29 credits for my high school AP classes. I entered college one credit shy of being a sophomore. My only loans were for room and board for 5 semesters. To help minimize costs, I took 18-21 credits per semester.

I began my M.A. in 2003, and paid in cash for my first year. I did not need to take out loans for that degree since I was fully funded. The majority of my loan obligations mounted up during my Ph.D. For two years, I received generous funding in the form of a teaching fellowship. After that, my options were either to bite the bullet and take out loans or quit the program. Nothing in between. I was unwilling to slow down my progress or work on the Ph.D. by attending part time. I had already invested too much time, money, and effort (sunk costs), so I chose the former option. Plus, I was in a hurry to get on with my life.

Throughout the reminder of my studies, I worked as an adjunct. Anyone who is familiar with academe knows you barely get paid enough to live on, much less have money left over to pay for ancillary expenses, like education.So even though I was working, I still needed to borrow money so I could cover all of of my living expenses.

Ever present, however, was the mantra I had been following my entire life: never give up. “Anyone can move a mountain, if one really tries.” You can conquer anything with courage and grit. Just try a little harder.

And persevered I did. I got a first class education and I recently graduated with my PhD -- but along the way, I also gained a mountain of debt. Hmm. Energy can never be created nor destroyed, but can only change form. The size of the loan, and how it got that way, is the part that troubles me.

A drastic reduction of available subsidized loans (versus unsubsidized), 6% + interest rates, and the time needed to completely my studies, all contributed to increasing the principle amount of my debt. Thankfully, my loans are federal instead of private (I will discuss this distinction in later blog posts). I am one of the fortunate ones. I researched what types of loans to take out before borrowing any money. As well, I had the good sense to check out what various repayment plans and forgiveness programs were available before I signed on the dotted line.

Don't get me wrong. I am not writing this blog in order to whine. I intend to repay my loans on the income-based repayment option. My remaining balance will be forgiven after 120 qualifying payments under the https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/charts/public-service Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. I also plan to save taxpayers money (that I am forgiven) through additional public service initiatives and volunteering. I will discuss this repayment plan and forgiveness program, among others, in subsequent posts.

But here is my situation: I am responsible for repaying a large student loan obligation. For those of you carrying a similar debt load, rest assured, you are not alone. There are literally hundreds of us out there, graduates from first tier research schools, land grant institutions (and lest we forget, the fly-by-night diploma mills, for-profit colleges and universities), all grappling with the reality that is student loan debt.

Finally, in the spirit of full disclosure, I want you to know that I am not affiliated with any educational/financial institution or debt relief organization. Instead, it is my aim to present this blog as an unbiased, online commentary. I hope that it will be informative, eye-opening, and a source you can trust from someone who has been there, done that, and is looking to explore viable alternatives.