President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Washington want the taxpayers to forgive the bill for some of the billions in college debt that young people have accumulated. There are currently two bills relating to this.

In the House, H.R. 4170 refers to cutting the interest and forgiving some loans; for example, the remainder of the student loan debt could be forgiven for those who have paid 10 percent of their discretionary income toward their loans for 10 years. The proposed legislation would cap interest on federal student loans at the current rate of 3.4 percent. Individuals who go into teaching, public service or practice medicine in under-served areas would have their remaining debt forgiven after only five years.

The Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2011, now in the Senate, refers to bankruptcy as a way to forgive a student loan.

Both bills would restore the ability to discharge commercial student loans in bankruptcy proceedings, reversing a 2005 change to the law for borrowers who find themselves unable to make payments on their loans.

When is this going to stop? It is time for every one of us to take responsibility for our own choices and stop expecting handouts from the government (i.e.: the taxpayers).

And maybe it is time to forgo the elite schools for more affordable alternatives.

I paid for my college education; my son paid for his. Neither of us attended an expensive, elite school. We attended affordable local universities, paid for our college loans when we graduated and found work.

Mary Jane Newell, Oxford

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