Marquette seniors emotional as student loan payment day nears
The end of college is often said to come too quickly, and that’s certainly true for members of Marquette’s class of 2017. Members of the class will receive their diplomas in under a month, which means that most of their student loan plans will start six months later. Many soon-to-be graduates have responded to this reality with a high degree of emotion.
“I never expected it to happen this soon,” senior Hannah Jones said, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “For four years, all you get in the mail is a cable bill and coupons for Pizza Shuttle and then it’s all over.”
Students are using these last few days of college to savor the things they enjoyed so much, whether it’s hanging out with friends at bars or getting one last mac and nuggets dinner at McCormick. Some, like engineering major Derek Newton, are pulling up their online bank statements just to enjoy the sight of spare money in it.
“Man I remember the good old days where my 12-hour per week job in the AMU covered all my expenses and gave me plenty of leftover beer money. Not anymore.”
People in lower-paying majors are feeling the nostalgia even more intensely. Jones, a journalism major, will begin payment on a student loan that is twice her starting salary in January 2018. This has prompted an intense longing for the glory days of college.
“When I think about all those days where I didn’t have to live with a five-figure debt payment…those were the best years of my life,” the 21-year-old Jones said.
Marquette hopes to ease the transition for graduating seniors by waiting a full year before calling them to ask for donations.
