Quote from piezoe:
As everyone knows, many students take on too much debt and than struggle to repay-- especially true in a recession. But the Original Post concerns an absurd and highly unusual case, and that is why it made the news. Ignore it. It's an absurd outlier.
One other major point. Up until changes by the Obama administration, banks were protected by the taxpayer from losses on student loans -- they had no incentive to question the borrowers ability to repay, probably were not even permitted to. The situation now may not be better, but it is unlikely to be any worse. The taxpayer will still pick up the bill on defaults, however there is at least a chance that defaults will be fewer since loans will cost less with the banks cut eliminated.
There is value to society in education so perhaps, on balance, it is not such a bad investment for the taxpayer. I look at these nut cases as just part of the overhead cost of what is otherwise a worthwhile program. There will always be a few lunatics.