For Recent Grads Student Loan Debt Is Costing Much More Than Just Money
President Joe Biden promised to forgive up to US$10,000 in student loan debt during his 2020 campaign. Now, a few months into his presidency, over 415 organizations have urged him to use his executive authority to cancel all federal student loan debt. We assembled a panel of academics to talk about the effects student loans have on recent graduates.
How much student loan debt is too much?
Kate Padgett-Walsh, associate professor of philosophy at Iowa State University
Student debt is too much when it threatens the physical and mental health of young borrowers. Today’s college graduates now finish school with almost $30,000 in student loan debt, on average, an increase of over 300% from 1970 after adjusting for inflation.
Research shows that the burden of this debt causes poorer mental heal...