There is no doubt that higher education – from earning a credential to improve job skills, to a four-year degree – opens doors. Study after study shows higher education has enormous benefits for individuals, our communities, and our nation as a whole. But for over 40 million people, the fruits of a college education are left withering as they struggle to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in educational debt. Worse still, countless more people are never able to plant the seeds of a brighter future as the rising cost of higher education pushes it further out of reach. Too many opportunities for growth and innovation in our American economy—not to mention in individual lives and careers—are being passed by, simply because too many people are forced into saying, “I can’t afford it.”
We can change that. We can make higher education possible for everyone in this country. We can help hundreds of thousands of aspiring students attain the dream of a college education. We can free millions of student loan borrowers from the burden of crushing debt.
That’s why we’re Reclaiming the Promise of a high quality higher education for all students. Together, AFT members and our community allies are working to pass legislation, mobilize our members and partners, and use the collective bargaining process to prioritize investment in affordable and accessible higher education so that every student has a debt-free option for his or her college education, whatever his or her educational goals may be. We are pursuing real solutions to heighten awareness of, increase participation in, and expand options for debt relief for responsible student loan borrowers. Together, we’re creating ways for students who want to attend college to say, “I can!”—and for student loan debtors to begin focusing on their professions, their communities, and their families instead of just on their next loan payment.
Join us in Reclaiming the Promise of a high-quality higher education! [link to initial campaign ask]
Additional resources:
- On the Backs of Students and Families: Disinvestment in Higher Education and the Student Loan Debt Crisis
- An interactive guide to finding your best student loan repayment option
- Forgive My Student Debt (a guide to enrolling in Public Service Loan Forgiveness)
- Action Guide for Public Service Employees
- The Case for Debt-Free College