English 103
Essay #2: Should the Government Do More to Relieve the Student-Loan Burden?
Rogerian Argument
Minimum: 6 pages
100 Points
Among the many issues you face as a college student, taking out and eventually paying off student loans is amongst the most stressful. First, there is the decision to take out loans with the knowledge of having to start repaying them shortly after graduation. After that, there are a number of different things you must consider. How much are you willing to borrow? Depending on the school, is it worth it? How can you know? Will incurring this debt make it difficult for you to get your life and career started, e.g. buying a car, home, etc.?
Craft an essay of no less than six (6) full pages that addresses whether or not student loans should be forgiven, and if so, under what conditions. There are a number of different proposals for student loan forgiveness that have created a lot of discussion, both for and against. While it is difficult to respond to this issue without primarily thinking of the effect it will have on you personally, it will be imperative that you address both sides of this issue as you craft your essay in a Rogerian fashion. What are the most compelling counterarguments, and how can you address them effectively and persuasively? What should the future look like for student loans?
When structuring your essay, make sure that your sources interact with one another. Do not simply transition from one source to the next. That will make your paper read like it is a summary of source material. Avoid crafting one long paragraph for each source. Instead, articulate your ideas by showing how different points of view reveal their strengths and weaknesses when juxtaposed. For example, how would the author of Forgive Student Loans” respond to Don’t Blame the Government? When you incorporate multiple sources into the aspects of the topic you are arguing, you give your reader a broad look at the subject as well as an opportunity to evaluate the sources in relation to the overall argument you are making.
Your argument essay should be “solution based.” Addressing all of the different ideas here is crucial for your reader to understand the entire topic. Is forgiving student debt a good idea? Whose debt, if any, should be forgiven, and to what extent? What impact will this have on both previous and future students? Is this a good way to course correct an issue that impacts the majority of college students, or should students with current loans be responsible for paying them in full?
The US College Debt Bubble is Becoming Dangerous p. 579
p. 581 q. 1-7
Forgive Student Loans p. 582
p. 584 q. 1-6
Student Debt: It’s Worse Than We Imagined p. 585
p. 586 q. 1-7
A Strike Against Student Debt p. 587
p. 589 q. 1-7
Don’t Blame the Government p. 590
p. 591 q. 1-6
This is the book:
Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology, fourth edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2020.
ISBN: 978-1-319-19445-1.
