I think you hit on the biggest part. She had no business at N.Y.U. if she wasn't rich to begin with and could afford the school and she was ill-planned if she thought she was going to do anything with that degree.

On the first point I was always surprised when I went back to school how many kids refused to go get their non-major classes knocked out at the local community college and then transfer and save themselves thousands upon thousands of dollars and accrued and capitalized interest.

I also saw a lot of the students do the same thing with degree choices. I took some classes on religion as I was finishing up because 1) I had the extra money and needed to take something for loan qualifications and 2) I had an interest and again, had to use the money on something so I chose those classes. But, I would never get a frigging degree in religious studies unless I was doing something like committing myself to religious duty, seminary, or somethign of that sort where it would actually be my career. If a student wanted to learn something about topics that wouldn;t help equate to a degree that would be worthwhile the he or she could always go and buy the damned textbook and read about it on their own. I did that several times and have to say that it was probably somewhat equivalent to taking the class. This girl could have gotten a degree in business, a minor in women's studies and just studied religion on her own.

I also find one other problem that isn't ever addressed anywhere because it isn't politically correct. The truth is that there are a lot of people going to college that have no real business there. It's a free country and if they want to go then fine, the university will definitely take their money. They can borrow all that money and get their C average and then find out the reality of the job market and their worthless degree that cost them thousands of dollars. Seriously, I couldn't believe when I went back to school how many students were lazy and some were just stupid as hell. Many of the students couldn't write papers correctly or hold a conversation in class or ask meaningful questions. I saw a lot of students that simply were in over their heads and had no business being there.

As far as student loans go they are kind of a rip off because of their never ending capitalizing interest. Still, as unfair as the capitalization process is this girl has other options. She could, as you said, move somewhere cheaper and live below her means while she paid them off. She might have to give up several of her years doing things like working a second job and living in a smaller city but she could definitely make a gigantic hit on them if she did so. Something tells me this girl does not want to work a second job or move so I guess she's screwed. Still, I know people who paid their loans back in just a few years by working their asses off at two and three jobs and living below their means until they accomplished their goal. It is doable.