Woman Says She Had To Get A Server Job On Top Of Being A Teacher Just So She Could Afford To Pay Back Her Student Loans
Sadly, her story is a bleak reminder that living in America has become an ordeal for far too many.
@genny_sleboda / TikTok A woman shared the impossible circumstances she has to go through just to be able to pay back her student loans.
In a TikTok video, a woman named Genevieve expressed her frustration that most of the American population can, unfortunately, relate to when it comes to figuring out how to tackle the mounds of debt that most people seem to have.
She was forced to get a server job on top of being a teacher to afford paying back her student loans.
Genevieve, who earned a master’s degree in education, made a short TikTok video explaining that she had no choice but to get a server job on top of being a teacher just to afford paying back her student loans from graduate school.
“If you have a college degree what are you doing working as a server?” she wrote in text overlay on the video. Genevieve lip-synched along to an audio, responding to the question she gets often from people in her life: "What if, and just hear me out for a second, you shut the [expletive] up.”
In the caption of her video, she explained that she never expected to be working as a server when she chose to attend grad school and get her degree with the intention of being a teacher full-time. However, because of the astronomical amount that she owes, she was forced to find another job to supplement the payments.
"How [do] you expect me to pay back these student loans on a teacher's salary?" she wrote.
Despite how much work teachers do, they are severely underpaid in America and are unhappy with their salaries.
According to a survey conducted by RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank, 66% of teachers said their base salary was inadequate, compared with 39% of U.S. working adults. These teachers want a $17,000 increase in base pay, on average, to feel that their pay is adequate.
Teachers worked more hours per week, on average than all working adults — 53 hours compared with 46, per the study. About one of every four hours teachers worked per week was uncontracted and uncompensated.
Despite teachers being among the most educated in this country, public school educators in the United States are earning approximately 19.2% less than other college-educated workers. Due to the lack of pay, many teachers, like Genevieve, are forced to take on extra side jobs in their free time.
Many teachers' willingness to go above and beyond when it comes to being educators shows their unwavering commitment, and yet, their efforts are made in vain.
Genevieve's concern about paying back her student loans is a relatable problem for many others.
Student loan debt in the United States has reached staggering levels, with millions of borrowers collectively owing trillions of dollars. According to Forbes, the average student loan debt in the United States sits at a staggering total of $1.75 trillion, with $28,950 owed per borrower on average.
Since the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program, it's left many people scrambling to figure out how they will make their student loan payments, which are starting back up in October 2023.
For many borrowers, student loan payments consume a significant portion of their income. Monthly payments are often similar to a second rent or mortgage, leaving little room for other essential expenses, savings, or investments in the future.
It's a rather bleak reality that many people simply can't afford to shell out money for some of these basic expenses while also making sure they are paying back their loans.
Genevieve's story is a poignant reminder that living in America, with its high costs and financial challenges, has become an ordeal for far too many.
It's crucial that we recognize the collective struggles faced by people in this country and hopefully work towards finding compassionate solutions to alleviate the burdens of student debt and support educators who play such a pivotal role in our society.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.