John,

Did you see Barbara’s email on Friday? Her story is incredible and I’m so happy she agreed to share it with you. Volunteers like her — and supporters like you — are what make our work at Our Rev possible. If you have a minute right now, we’d be so grateful if you could chip in and help us put an end to the crippling debt that affects millions of Americans like Barbara.

Student loan debt really resonates with me because I have a story like this of my own. I graduated from college nearly 15 years ago and the burden of my loans changed the trajectory of my life.

I used to joke that I was bargain-hunting for a degree. I couldn’t have done it any cheaper, and yet I am likely to be saddled with debt for many years to come. The main reason is price-gouging of students by colleges and the predatory lending, interest, and collections practices that come with it.

We are collecting thousands of stories like mine and Barbara’s because this has become a pretty typical experience for Americans. But none of us are asking for handouts, or starting GoFundMe pages. We’re asking you to invest in Our Revolution and the work we’re doing in this pivotal moment. We have a window of opportunity and President Biden has the power to deliver for 43 million of us and our families.

I had dreamed of becoming an environmental lawyer, but I simply could not bring myself to add an extra $200,000 to my debt after racking up $75,000 from undergrad at a state school. Having to give up my dream because of the price tag was crushing and ate at me for years. I considered an internship in Washington, DC, but how would I afford to work for free and live in an expensive big city with student loan payments nearing $900 a month? Education is supposed to be a ladder, not a weight that holds you back.

My only choice was to move back home to rural Pennsylvania, where I lived rent-free with my grandmother while also providing her care. Instead of paying rent or a mortgage, I paid student loans. I worked as a reporter at our local newspaper, a job that required a 4-year degree but paid $8 an hour. After 7 years in the newsroom, I was making $12.25 an hour. Needless to say, nearly every dollar went to my student loans (and most of that, to the interest).

It felt like treading water. I got the degree to get the job to pay for the degree which I needed to have the job to pay for the degree. It was a road to nowhere.

For millions of people in my generation, entering the workforce in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, having children, buying a home, or moving to a city to pursue a new career was out of reach.

Like Barbara, I welcomed Biden’s student debt payback during the pandemic — but it was a bandaid on a gunshot wound. Now, Biden has a second chance to deliver debt relief and Our Revolution is teaming up with Ro Khanna to help him do it before loans pick back up this fall.

After paying all these years, I’ve whittled my debt down by less than half. My remaining debt could be much higher now with predatory compounding interest. But I don’t really know what I owe because I can’t bear to look at it. Chipping away at a debt, only to see that total going up is surreal. I know millions of Americans know this feeling too well, and it is gut wrenching.

No one should be burdened with debt simply for seeking education - whether at a tech school, community college, or 4-year university. This is a recipe for disaster for our country, harming our people, our families and communities, and the economy as a whole.

Today, I’m lucky to be using my degree as the Communications Director for Our Revolution, where I’m able to work for justice on student debt, medical debt, the climate, and other critical issues. I’m proud to be part of Our Revolution’s effort to organize student borrowers from all around the country to build pressure for change. I am used to helping other people share their stories, but now I’m hoping my personal experience can make a difference.

Thank you for being part of our community. We can win student debt relief. Help us mobilize our movement into the next phase of this fight.

In Solidarity,

Amanda

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John,

I am a lifelong Democratic voter from Texas and I have a message for the President. Right now I am forced to choose between paying off nearly $200,000 in student loans vs. supporting my aging parents and even putting a roof over my head.

I am a volunteer with Our Revolution because I know we must collectively organize to make our country better. Not just for me, but for the over 40 million Americans with stories just like mine. We’re organizing thousands of Our Rev supporters with student debt to speak out, hold Biden to his promise, and put pressure on the Department of Education to deliver relief quickly. Click here to chip in just $3 today to support our work.

I currently owe nearly $200,000 in student debt. In 2006, I left my master’s program one semester shy of graduating to support my parents. My father is a Vietnam Vet with PTSD, leaving my mom as the sole-breadwinner. She couldn’t be home to care for him, so I stopped school to care for my dad. Today, I support them financially.

Family comes first – I’m sure President Biden and I agree on this. I am proud of what I have been able to give back to my parents. But it has meant giving up other parts of my life, including my own ability to save and invest.

My loans are a burden that I’ve carried my entire adult life. I didn’t know what it felt like to have financial breathing room until President Biden paused student loan payments during the pandemic. For the first time in my life, I was able to save a small nest egg. I was 40 years old.

President Biden, I am not asking for a handout. I am asking for you to intervene and use your power to improve the lives of millions of Americans in ways you cannot even begin to imagine. Help us organize and tell Joe Biden: we need meaningful student debt relief TODAY. Click here to give NOW.

I’ve been nibbling around the edges of this debt for years, using deferrals and income-based repayment plans that allowed me to keep my payments down. But all the time, this meant the interest was becoming insurmountable. Today a third of my total debt is interest.

If my payments start again with no relief, I don’t see a way forward. I have no path to investing in my own home, or even continuing to support my parents. How do I better my life if I am trapped under these payments?

That’s why I’m part of Our Revolution’s campaign to End Student Debt. We’re organizing thousands of people with student debt to demand that Joe Biden act NOW. We can’t wait for government red tape. The President says he’ll do everything in his power. Help us hold him accountable and make sure he keeps his word.

It’s not me, Us—

Barbara