However, according to Irons, Harvard's own loans have no such forgiveness provision because "there hasn't been an indication that people are choosing career fields because of their indebtedness." If such a trend surfaced at the College, she said, perhaps this policy might be rethought.
However, Director of the Office of Career Services William Wright-Swadel says that over the years he's seen a number of students whose career choices have been affected by loan debt.
"Students have said to us 'I'm very interested in public services and education but I'm going to explore some more traditional options like recruiting,'" because of the need to pay off loans, Wright-Swadel said.
"All of our career counselors have had conversations with students that indicate indebtedness is one of the things they're concerned about," he said.
As he left a student loan "exit interview" last month, Matt B. Morrin '00 said his debt would "definitely" affect his decisions in the next few years, making him think twice about travel or graduate school.
"I owe a rather large amount of money," Morrin says. "There are things I might be interested in doing that it'll affect."
The More Things Change
Read more in News
Finding Your Interests and Identity Can Take TimeRecommended Articles
-
Watching Money Fly Away...At a commencement speech on May 19 at Brandeis University, Madeleine K. Albright, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., told
-
Students May Be Forced to Quit JobsHundreds of University-employed students receiving National Direct Student Loans (NDSL) may be forced to quit their jobs within a few
-
Dept. of Education Rule Change Will Consolidate Loan RequirementFinancial aid recipients at Harvard will have an easier--but not necessarily safer--time applying for loans next year. A Department of
-
Monro Praises Flexibility, Scope Of New Student Loan ProgramThe new National Defense Student Loan Program provides American colleges and universities with a "remarkable opportunity" to increase their financial
-
Student Loan Bank PlanLast September the President's Commission on Educational Innovation announced a revolutionary plan that would guarantee any student as much money
-
Crippling Our FutureThe House of Representatives is poised to pass a bipartisan proposal that will significantly increase the cost of going to
