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It is beyond time for the federal government to help individuals over corporations! Yes, to federal help to those with student loans.

Before those on the opposite side of this issue become apoplectic, allow me to explain my idea of help. I am not advocating forgiveness of these loans but some kind of modification: extend time to begin paying, reduce interest and/or eliminate penalties, allow longer terms for repayments.

Make it illegal to attach a credit score to these loans; deduct from their future income tax at some point the amount owed. This isn't hard to figure out! Do something sensible, like we could have done with mortgages before that system collapsed. In fact, there seem to be many parallels. We can avoid making that mistake again and magnifying the fallout; we can this time do something decent and pragmatic.

Upholding some ridiculous rules in the light of the current unemployment rates will tend to cause these loans to default completely. (The images are still fresh in my mind of entire blocks or houses where folks just walked away when banks refused to adjust rates or payments. Everyone around suffered.)

I say better to get the money at some point in the future than never.

When things do pick up economically, these young people will greet the new and improved world with a wrecked credit score through no fault of their own. That doesn't do the rest of the economy any good; it could prolong the recession when a large part of the population cannot participate in the great American borrow-spend fest. Remember, these are mostly young people poised to enter their big spending years. Do we benefit by shutting them out?

A little enlightened self-interest from the rest of us might be wise. If this significant part of the population doesn't get some consideration, they will be further demoralized, and further penalized when they apply for a job or insurance. (That all-important credit score, remember.)

For the most part, these people did exactly what they had been told for years to do: invest in themselves. Sacrifice short-term for long-term gain. They were reminded ad nauseum that college graduates make over a lifetime at least one million dollars more than those without a degree. Yeah, yeah. Now we are going to say to them, "Oh, just kidding, sucker." Great way to train future citizens and build their trust in the system.

It is entirely likely that many of these students borrowed because those famous state-sponsored scholarship programs their parents

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