The call for the abolition of all student debt has never been louder—but how did we get to a place where this demand is possible?
By Julia Rocha, Latino USA
Latino USA dives into the history of the student loan system in the U.S, as well as the stories of Black and Latino organizers that have been at the forefront of the movement for student debt cancellation.
The history of the student loan system in the U.S goes back a couple of decades.
“We switched to student loans at the exact moment that low income people, Black and brown communities were enrolling” said Dr. Jalil Mustaffa Bishop, a professor of education at Villanova University and leading researcher in anti-racism and student loan policy.
He said that before the civil rights movement, higher education in the United States was federally funded on a grant-based system. But there was backlash from politicians who wanted to reduce government spending on social programs, just as more students of color demanded admission and representation in universities. Eventually, government funding decreased and the burden of paying for a college education shifted to students and their families.
Recent Posts
Big Systems, Bigger Profits: Consumers Are Paying the Price of Corporate Hospital Power
Take Action Now The analysis found every state dominated by a handful of system-owned hospitals, which not only charged higher rates on average but…
History of U.S.-Cuba Turmoil & the Possibility of a Full-Scale War
Take Action Now The U.S., while threatening an invasion and assassination of its leaders and/or bombing of Cuba is already conducting an act of war…
These Poor Billionaires Are Melting Down Over Taxing the Rich
Take Action Now Facing the prospect of paying a bit more in taxes, billionaires are responding calmly and rationally: by calling themselves a…
The New Jim Crow
Take Action Now What happened in Alabama on ThursdayBy Joyce Vance, Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision…