What the Democratic Candidates Don’t Understand About Student Loans
MISSING THE MARK
They’re making valiant efforts to solve the student loan crisis. But they’re missing other pieces of the puzzle.
opinion
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast
When I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013, my outstanding loans totaled $75,000. This month, I will be debt-free, having paid a total of $102,000.
But this isn’t about me. I didn’t share how much I owed and the interest I have paid for pity or for praise. I shared it because I’m one of the 45 million Americans directly impacted by this $1.4 trillion loan crisis, and we’re ready for it to be taken seriously. We know that loan forgiveness is a great start, but it’s not the whole answer. The question is: Do the 2020 candidates?
Based on the plans they debated this week, I’m not so sure.