Financial education needed

I recently read with interest the March 20 letter by Megan Tucker. I agree that students need be provided education in basic financial topics, including the value and potential pitfalls of student loans. Basic information on other topics such as credit and debit cards, checking accounts, real estate and personal loans, stocks and bonds, and the power of compound interest should also be addressed. However, I believe this financial information is important to everyone, not just prospective college students, and should be provided to all high school students, prior to graduation.

In addition, in ancient times (circa 1965) few student loans and relatively few scholarships were available. To attend college then, a student had to be either financed by his/her parents or work to pay his/her own way, or get through using both funding sources. As with most other 1960s college students, I began working at 16, in my case working evenings and weekends at a food store for minimum wage (a princely $0.75 per hour). In college, I worked summers and weekends, and with the help of my parents graduated on time and without debt. And this can still be done today.

Bruce Hurley

Nine Mile Falls