One of my favorite moments in the Obama presidency is when Michelle Obama talked about how debt-ridden she and Barack were when they were younger. It was part of her 2012 Democratic Convention speech. Both Obamas had tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, and from what I understand, they weren’t able to pay off their student loans until Obama became a senator AND his books became bestsellers.

Some people (Elizabeth Warren) believe there is a crisis in student debt, and I tend to agree. College should be much more affordable than it is today. When I think back to how inexpensive it was when I went to college, it’s sort mind-blowing (but then again, I am more than a decade past my college graduation). Anyway, Miles Teller – who really isn’t THAT much younger than me – admitted in a recent interview that he still has student loan debt. It’s not that he doesn’t have the money to pay it off (he’s starred in some big studio films the past few years), but he just doesn’t think it’s any big deal to leave his debt out there. Lingering. Some highlights from Miles’ Vulture interview:

What he learned in college: “I couldn’t tell you a single thing I learned in college. You’re into it at the time and then when you leave, you kind of forget it.”

His scheduling with Divergent & Fantastic Four: “It’s nice, because you can get involved with a project early. You’re not scrambling to figure out what to do. These movies basically only take up my summers, and even then, if a movie wants you bad enough, they’ll work around it. I can do two, three films a year. I know I’ll at least be doing one, so I can balance it from there.”

He still hasn’t paid off his student loans: “That is true. My business manager says the interest is so low, there’s no sense in paying them off. I can, if I want to have that badge of accomplishment, but until then I still very much have my NYU loans.”

[From Vulture]

Ugh, I would hate to have that kind of debt hanging over me. But I’m the kind of person tempted to pay off her credit card bill in full every time. Just sitting here, knowing that I have an outstanding $250 on my Discover card is making me feel itchy. I had to learn that it’s good to have some kind of debt that you pay off gradually, because that helps your credit score. Not that Miles Teller is worried about his credit score, I’m guessing. He probably just does whatever his business manager tells him to do. Still… why not just pay it off? Typical dude, not planning his long-term financial future. Thinking about Miles’ debt is making me itch.

Photos courtesy of WENN.