Bailouts now cost more than anything ever. This makes me a little nervous; I must admit. I keep getting visions of the financial collapse in Atlas Shrugged, and they’re frightening. While I don’t agree with bailouts and all the nationalizing that goes along with them, I can’t help but wonder why I’m not getting any money.

Friends of mine share the same opinion and have even invited me to join a student-loan bailout group on Facebook, which I ignored along with all of the other, innane group requests I get. It got me thinking, though. The loan companies are getting bailouts, which is widely regarded as a bad idea. What about money for the debt-ridden graduates?

There are programs that offer loan forgiveness, but the requirements are unappealing. Why aren’t loan companies required to join the armed forces before we bail them out? Why, exactly, are we not forcing them to run soup kitchens full of destitute college grads? They’re getting free money, while their debtors go to great lengths just pay the interest on their loans.

Don’t get me wrong here; I’m not voting to erase all debts. That simply won’t work. It doesn’t seem right, though, that the companies should get bailed out, while the individual suffers.

Thankfully, there’s been some movement towards getting people educated without heaping student loan debt on them. Loans don’t just take themselves out; at some point, someone agreed to pay it all back. Why aren’t the companies being held to same standards?

The lesson here is, especially now, to stay out of debt. Rather than racking up loans to cover tuition while working part-time around your class schedule, maybe it’s time to consider online education, so you can work full-time and go to school. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? It’s better than waiting for a bailout; that’s for sure.