"I asked him if it was fair on the waitress earning $13 per hour to subsidize the student loan of a Law school graduate. He changed the subject deftly."
Excellent point.
Excellent point.
Single, no child, no subsidized savings...around $1,000.
1 Child...negative several thousands dollars.
That's assuming all income is being reported.
Here's another valid perspective: the Federal money that went to subsidize the Law student's degree... it could have gone to infrastructure in a way that could have materially improved the waitress's life. Or it could have increased her child credit. Or it could have been used to incentivize her (in various ways) to seek an educational or skills upgrade.