Hey John, 

With the cost of college rising by over 1,000% from 1982-2012, and another 25% in the last 10 years, it’s no surprise that our country has landed in a dire student debt crisis. 45 million student loan borrowers hold $1.7 trillion in debt and for many, there’s no way out from under the debt burden.

Which is why we need President Biden to #CancelStudentDebt. Borrowers need their balances reduced immediately. But this alone won’t solve the student debt crisis; Congress must fix the root of this issue by addressing the cost of college to ensure no one is ever put in the same situation as today’s borrowers.

The heart of the debt crisis is the fact that higher education has become incredibly unaffordable and inaccessible due to decades of funding cuts from federal and state governments. Simultaneously, the cost of living and inflation continued to increase while wages stagnated.

We believe that a quality higher education shouldn’t only be accessible to the rich. EVERYONE should be able to choose their education path and future, regardless of background or wealth, without taking on the burden of debt or financial strain.

That’s why we’re calling on Congress and the White House to #CancelStudentDebt AND pass #FreeCollege legislation!

Debt cancellation and making college free are two sides of the same coin–both are key to making higher education equitable across racial, gender, and economic groups. #FreeCollege is a social, economic, and racial justice issue.

The fact that we're seeing THREE #FreeCollege proposals in Congress within the last week is also a huge sign for current student loan borrowers; this is recognition from policymakers that the student debt crisis is real and must be stopped. With this validation, debt cancellation proposals gain moment too.

There are already several #FreeCollege proposals in talks. Last week alone Senator Bernie Sanders reintroduced his College for All legislation and Senator Brian Schatz reintroduced the Debt-Free College Act.

We have legislation on the table. We just need you to tell your elected officials to support #FreeCollege and to #CancelStudentDebt!
 

Thanks for fighting,

Ella Azoulay
Program Coordinator
Generation Progress