Many people received low to no debt education prior to signing, especially on case-specific types of repayment such as IBR. A loan officer will never provide the hours of education a students needed to have prior to signing. Let alone those who were coached into refinancing into variable rate private loans. Student loans are in their own special class of messed up.

NINJA loans (No Income, No Job, and no Assets) are predatory by nature. They clearly caused the US housing crisis in 2008. Similarly, a large student loan is a gamble that you will have sustained good health and that your income will increase over time. Meanwhile, wealthier families don't have to take out loans in the first place. It's a dirty, rigged game.