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.