John,

As of January, outstanding student loan debt surpassed $1.7 trillion nationally. It's estimated that as many as 1 in 5 student loan borrowers are in default.

Despite having acquired the necessary skills to advance in life, graduating students are saddled with debt, limiting their opportunities for growth and economic security, often for decades. Student borrowers are unable to obtain meaningful relief in bankruptcy because under the current law, federal student loans are not dischargeable (except under extremely narrow circumstances).

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, borrowers were drowning in education-related debt and high interest rates, frequently unable to manage their payments for various reasons. The existing repayment system for federal student loans provides insufficient opportunity for borrowers to manage their debt, particularly now during efforts to recover from the pandemic and economic recession.

Cancelling federal student loan debt will provide immediate relief to millions of Americans drowning in education-related debt, and it will give a much-needed boost to working families and to our economy.

Generations of students--not to mention, our economy--are being crushed by student loan debt, and we need your voice to help us call for immediate action. SIGN THE PETITION NOW to urge Congress to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt >>

SIGN THE PETITION: [[link removed]]

State Attorneys General have a significant role to play in addressing the student debt crisis, and in helping consumers make smart decisions when it comes to borrowing for their education.

We are responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws, and we see firsthand the substantial burden that federal student loan debt places on the residents of our states. We routinely receive complaints from borrowers who are unable to navigate the existing complex repayment and loan forgiveness plans — and when they are unable to manage federal loan repayment, it can be catastrophic to their finances and nearly impossible to escape.

I've been committed to helping students and consumers saddled with education-related debt throughout my time as AG. In 2016, I hosted the first national Attorneys General conference on this crisis, and a second a few years later. I've spearheaded the Oregon Student Loan Bill of Rights to institute basic consumer protections for student loan borrowers and to educate those who are navigating debt management.

Toward the end of the Trump administration, I joined 23 other Attorneys General in a lawsuit against U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education in which we challenged their action repealing the critical “borrower defense” regulations and protections for defrauded student borrowers.

Just last month, I teamed up with a coalition of Attorneys General in a letter to Congress and President Biden calling for the use of the executive authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for every federal student loan borrower.

And today, you can have a powerful impact by signing our petition to add pressure from the public. Add your name now to demand immediate federal action on the student loan debt crisis >>

SIGN NOW: [[link removed]]

Thanks for taking action with us,
Ellen

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Ellen Rosenblum is the People's Lawyer, serving as Oregon's Attorney General since 2012 when she became the first-ever female attorney general in the state's history. She's building a more equitable and inclusive Oregon by addressing critical issues like combatting the climate crisis, supporting working families, standing up to racial injustice, protecting reproductive freedom, championing gender equality, protecting our voting rights, and so much more.

Pitch in today to help Ellen continue fighting for progressive causes >>

DONATE NOW:
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