The Trump administration has announced that it will begin garnishing the wages of those who are in default on repayment of their student loans on Jan. 7.

While starting small, initially involving only about 1,000 such borrowers, the plan to reclaim what is owed the government could potentially affect 5.3 million people who are not paying down their educational debt.

Seizing up to 25% of a delinquent borrower’s earning is both cruel and unnecessary. It is blatantly performative posturing by President Donald Trump to demonstrate his anti-elitism to his MAGA base.

There are better ways to ensure that student borrowers meet their moral obligation to compensate their fellow citizens for the gift of an education. Congress should offer people with educational debts the option of repaying the government through volunteer service in their communities by passing legislation that creates Volunteers for America.

In the wake of World War II, returning veterans could avail themselves of the G.I. Bill, which paid for college and associated living expenses. It was thanks to those who served from a grateful nation. But it was also a taxpayer investment in the next generation, one that paid handsome societal dividends for years to come.

More recently, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program has helped more than a........

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