is putting a gun to their head and making them go to college.  Going to college is not a God-given right.

If $70,000 in college debt is "too much" coming out of school, then:

1) choose a degree that will actually pay back that debt.  I have a niece that is getting a degree in Spanish.  What in the world is she going to do with that that will actually be profitable?

2) don't go to school at all.  Learn a trade.  There are plenty of jobs out there that pay well that don't require $70,000 in debt to get ualified in.  Be a plumber.

3) go to a school you can afford.  Just because you grew up loving Auburn or Florida, doesn't mean you have to go there (especially if it means racking up out of state debt).

Everybody wants the gov't to live within their means, but kids don't do it themselves when it comes to college and then whine about the debt that comes with it?  Everybody and their uncle having a college degree has watered down the value of said degree.  A college degree used to set you apart, now it's about the equivalent of having a high school degree.  You need a master's to stand out. 

But if you can't afford it, then do something else.