As the Supreme Court considers federal student loan forgiveness, now is an apropos time to consider the role of philanthropy in addressing student loan debt.
Roughly, one in five Americans hold student loans. According to the most recent Federal Reserve data, among the fastest-growing categories of student loan borrowers over the past two decades are Black students and people ages 50 and older. For struggling borrowers, paying off student debt requires individuals and households to make regular financial tradeoffs by prioritizing student loan debt relative to other consumer debt and household needs.
During this webinar on April 18, we:
- Discussed who holds student loan debt and how it intersects with gender and racial equity.
- Examined the current state of federal student loan debt forgiveness as well as other paths to forgiveness (e.g., public loan student forgiveness and income-driven repayment account adjustment programs).
- Provided actionable ideas for funders to address student loan debt.
Speakers
Hiba Haroon (Moderator), The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Dr. Jason Caldwell, MDC
Kristin McGuire, Young Invincibles
Rosie Silber-Maker, Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners
Kat Welbeck, Student Borrower Protection Program (SBPC)
Resources
California Campaign for Borrowers Rights
MDC’s Student Debt Relief in the South
Campaign to Cancel Student Debt
