DEAR EDITOR:

Cal Thomas calls people who have defaulted on student loans deadbeats, and implies many never intended to repay the loan. He compares student loans to car loans or mortgages, but there are several differences. When applying for a car loan the borrower must talk to a loan specialist and qualify for the loan, meaning he has an established way to repay. He walks away with property or a car as collateral.

By comparison, the student (often still in high school) is offered the loan with no such qualifications.

No parent signature is required and the subject is often encouraged to borrow more than he actually needs.Seems too good to be true to a young kid with little or no financial experience. Repayment is based loosely on what the student might earn after completion of the college degree.

As people in Youngstown know, many never complete college and those who do often must relocate to find work. They also find starting pay far below what was expected. Some of the borrowers have paid many times the original amount due to high interest rates and encouraged deferments.

These loans are the definition of predatory and the government would happily forgive them if it was, say, GM.

STEVE SOLAK

Youngstown