Today’s Action: Cancel student debt!

The Biden Administration has confirmed that student loan repayments will restart in February of 2022, giving borrowers only two months to prepare. Not only are many Americans still struggling to rebound from the worst economic catastrophe in their lifetimes, the payments on what they were told were the key to realizing their American Dream were already debilitating.

The $1.7 trillion student debt crisis is not a problem for the elite — it lands on the shoulders of the 43 million middle- and working-class young people. On top of this, students of color are disproportionately impacted, so much so that cancelling student loan debt has been called a major civil rights issue. Forgiving student loan debt would both serve as an economic stimulus and counteract institutionalized racial inequalities. It’s time for President Biden to relieve economic hardship for millions of Americans and cancel student debt.

Write President Biden and tell him to cancel federal student loan debt now!

A report from The Education Trust showed that Black loan borrowers believe legislators have ignored the ways student loan debt has reinforced disparities in racial equality. The study, focusing on 1,300 Black borrowers, likens the inequalities to Jim Crow-era laws. While limiting student debt cancellations affects all borrowers, it impacts Black borrowers and borrowers of color the most, especially when student debt is framed as “good debt,” ignoring the wealth differences often present between Black households and White households.

“Working your way through college” hasn’t been a feasible solution to higher education prices in decades. In the past ten years alone, the average cost of attendance has risen at least 25%, while the federal minimum wage has not budged. We have an entire generation of Americans crushed under the weight of skyrocketing education costs, now struggling even more due to the ongoing pandemic.

Write President Biden and tell him to make good on his campaign promise to cancel federal student loan debt and improve the lives of millions of young people!