By skyforbes 
They told us college was the way out. Now they’re garnishing our wages for believing them.
Scroll TikTok for five minutes and you’ll find endless videos about student loan stress, rent anxiety, and dreams deferred. But the streets? They’re quiet. Deafeningly so.
Meanwhile, the federal government has restarted student loan collections this month — and they’re not playing. They’re garnishing wages. Withholding tax refunds. Threatening the very paychecks we rely on to cover rent and groceries. And somehow… we’re still expected to stay quiet?
I work a full time job as an educator. I make $3,700 a month. I pay $1,840 just for my one-bedroom apartment. Last month, I paid $500 in federal taxes — and I’m still $60,000 in student loan debt. This math doesn’t add up. Now this month I need new tires which are anywhere from $500–800 dollars. How am I supposed to live off of less than $1,000 a month if something else important comes up? This economy doesn’t work. Not for me. Not for anyone I know.
How are millennials supposed to reach for the so-called American Dream when the system is designed to keep us scrambling just to survive?
We were sold a lie. At 18 or 19, we were told college was the only path to success. We were told that without a degree, we’d be nobodies. So we took out loans. Thousands — sometimes hundreds of thousands — of dollars in loans. Now we’re adults working full-time jobs that barely pay enough to keep the lights on, let alone pay off mountains of student debt.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a personal finance issue. This is a political failure, a moral failure, and an economic disaster.
The U.S. is the only wealthy country where young people are forced to mortgage their futures just to access higher education. In countries like Germany, Sweden, and even Slovenia, college is either free or heavily subsidized. Here? We pay a premium for a diploma, and if we can’t keep up, we’re punished — financially, mentally, and socially.
Historically, public education in America was far more accessible — until it became available to women and people of color. Then, suddenly, the price tag went up. That’s no coincidence. This system was never designed with equity in mind.
If Donald Trump really wants a “golden age” of America — then it’s time he supports free public college and total student loan cancellation.
This is our moment to demand more. To refuse silence. To stop dancing for TikTok views and start marching for justice.
The system is broken. The promises were lies. The burden is unbearable.
So I’m asking you: Who’s ready to take it to the streets?
Let’s fight for free education for all and the complete cancellation of student debt — not someday, but right now.