In the United States today, over 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees. I thought hard work was supposed to pay off! Times have changed… but for the better or worse?

A college degree used to be all you needed to be financially secure. The times of going to college, landing a secure job, buying a house, and starting a family are over. As of 2015, the United States is in $1.3 trillion worth of student loan debt. This is pretty alarming, considering that for young graduates, the unemployment rate is currently 7.2 percent (compared with 5.5 percent in 2007). Those damn baby boomers…

Who is to blame for the depreciation of the college degree? Some say the problem stems from the impossibly affordable rising tuition costs. As tuition costs have risen at rates vastly exceeding income growth, it is not surprising that many students have to take on debt to pay for college.

​Others make the argument that this seemingly endless bubble isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It signifies the growth and educational advancement of the United States. It is proof that we are pushing our limits and solidifying our spot as a world superpower.

The argument is a hairy one, and there are still many blanks to fill in. We do know one thing: too many graduates are fighting their tails off to be released from the vicious cycle of unemployment and rising student loan interest rates. We need a solution, and we need one fast.