My stepson graduated college debt free. My husband and I had to borrow to put him through school, but our aim was that he be able to start his post-educational life with a clean slate.
After working in his chosen field for a few years, he launched his own marketing business. Even in a difficult economy, he signed on clients, expanded his service offerings, and hired six other people. He'd been prudent in putting aside as much money as he could while working for others. Since that money wasn't earmarked for student loan payments, he could invest it in his business.
He was also able to buy a condominium as his first home, live in it for a few years, then convert it to a rental property when he bought a house as his world grew with marriage and the recent birth of a child. His success has enabled his wife to work for a non-profit organization, a role that she has been able to continue as a new mother while availing herself of local daycare.
Had my stepson been saddled with the sort of crushing student debt that many of his generation faced, much of this success story would instead have been a tale of Sisyphean struggle against difficult odds. Knowing him, he'd still have found a way to succeed since he has his father's brains, business savvy, charisma, and tenacity and (I like to think) some of my creativity and moxie.
So, to recap: plenty of people benefited when my stepson launched a business:
The employees he hired as the business grew (and their families)
The landlord he rented office space from
The vendors and suppliers and contractors who support the business
The on-call freelance workers who fill in during peak workloads
The car dealership where the business leased its vehicles
The people renting his condo who have a nice place at a reasonable rate
The couple who were able to sell their house and downsize in retirement
The daycare center where my grandson spends a few days a week
The non-profit where my daughter-in-law works
The beneficiaries of the work done by the non-profit
Oh, and the clients who availed themselves of my stepson's company's offerings.
So by all means, GOP, let's crush the dreams of future entrepreneurs by saddling them with twice the rate of student debt. After all, it's not as though your party has an interest in job creators.