Well, I showed exactly what I mean with the bullet list, but I'm guessing that's not what you're asking about; I'm sure you're aware of how certain politically minded folks like to talk about having equity (in a political or social context) - or are you not familiar with this issue? I'm simply taking this same principle and applying it to a situation where I have not yet seen it applied, which is student loan debt forgiveness & what I would like to know is which direction do people prefer to go in.
Just making sure I got what you meant.
Point 1: "students who have partially or fully paid student loans ought to get reimbursed for the amount they paid off"
I think this would have to be how it's done. There will be a lot of pissed off people who are going to feel like they got screwed by paying off their loans. And to the politicians making the call: This will not be Democrat vs. Republican issue. People on both sides would get burned and we all know how to lazy politicians don't like dealing with that.
Point 2: "students who didn't use student loans ought to get reimbursed for what they paid for their education"
This one is tough. Because now we're venturing into the taxpayers outright paying for higher education, rather than simply forgiving loans. It could be argued that it's the same thing, but it's not since there are obviously people who paid for their education rather than taking out loans.
Point 3: "those who decided not to continue education after high school that involves a student loan to avoid getting into student debt ought to get compensated for what they would have paid for it"
This one is nearly impossible and a great example of why this is all such a mess. The existence of government-backed student loans is a reason why college is so expensive in the first place so I can understand the motivation behind this point. But how could we ever calculate it? Could I just say I would have gone to Harvard if it wasn't so expensive so I deserve a check for $200,000?
Also, we need a backstop against what the colleges and universities are about to perceive. They are about to see the government swoop in and pay for it all. Will that incentivize them to make their product cheaper knowing the taxpayer will pick up the tab? Hell no. So do we maybe say:
Ok, all loans are forgiven. The government will no longer back any student loans. And a law be passed, maybe even an amendment or something that major, that the government will not be allowed to be involved in student loans for 100 years or something? The only way the colleges are going to get realistic about their prices is if the money supply dries up a bit. Government-backed student loans have essentially had an inflationary role in college pricing.