Since World War II, homeownership and higher education have been equated with success in America. In this 21st century economy, higher education constitutes more than ever an important passage towards greater social mobility. However, just as the American dream of homeownership was shattered by predatory lending, the American dream of higher education is also in danger of being shattered by ever-increasing student loan debt. After the Great Recession, it's only natural to worry about a looming student debt crisis, given the parallels it presents with the housing crisis. Not only do both problems stem from inequality and involve huge amounts of loans doomed to default, but, more importantly, they lack appropriate government intervention. Like government policies that have fueled unsustainable increases in house prices by encouraging subprime mortgages to increase homeownership, significant growth in subsidized loans in higher education raise university tuition fees. Higher education becomes more of a financial burden than an opportunity for personal growth and growth of a country. Just as landlords were stuck with the bill following a financial crisis, the federal government is failing to protect university students. ever-increasing cost of tuition fees. According to Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor and Nobel laureate in economics, "the average tuition, plus room and board, at four-year universities is just under $22,000." per year, compared to less than $9,000 (inflation-adjusted) in 2017. 1980-1981. » In an economy that increasingly depends on knowledge-based industries, more and more Americans are seeking higher education in order to move up the economic ladder and...... middle of paper ... ...ry of primary Causes of the housing bubble and the resulting credit crisis: a non-technical document. The Journal of Business Inquiry, 8.1 (2009): 120-129. Web. March 10, 2014. Lewis, Michael. The great short film: inside the apocalyptic machine. New York: WW Norton & Company, 2010. Print.NewYorkFed.org. New York Fed report shows households adding debt, February 18, 2014. Web, March 10, 2014. Staffordloan.com. Interest Rates and Fees on Federal Stafford Loans, 2014. Web. March 10, 2014. Stiglitz, Joseph E. “Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream.” » New YorkTimes, May 12, 2013. web. March 10, 2014. Taylor, John B. “How the Government Created the Financial Crisis.” The Wall Street Journal, 2009. Internet. March 10, 2014. Wallison, Peter J. “The Real Story of the Financial Crisis.” The American Spectator, 2011.Web. March 10 2014.