I also call b.s. The annual loan limit was $2,625 in 1989 (for freshman/sophomore - so for CC student). NO cost of attendance at any CC was $8,000 … so the school could not have certified a private loan for that much (schools can only certify up to COA, taking into account all other aid).
I saw a similar mistake in a Reader’s Digest article this month. The supposed federal loan debt borrowed by someone in the article was an impossible amount.
It’s fine to highlight the issues around student debt, but it’s important to do the proper research.
Oh, and for those who owe … I think it would be preferable to garnish wages than to remove the possibility of earning a wage. That is a bit of a “duh,” IMHO.