THIS IS A CRISIS: CANCEL ALL STUDENT DEBT NOW!

CONGRESS

In the last two weeks we have seen how the rapid spread of COVID-19 is creating both a public health crisis and an economic one. Many of us have lost jobs, been evicted from on campus housing, and are struggling to stay healthy and meet our financial needs. We are entering a period of economic devastation and health risk that threatens the lives of millions of Americans.

In this crisis, we are only as safe as the most vulnerable person in America: the uninsured, working person living paycheck to paycheck, while battling debt. When we protect them, we protect all of us. Now is the time for us to unite across our differences and make policy choices that help every-day people -- not the richest 1% and a handful of corporations. Forgiving student debt will stimulate the economy precisely when it is needed most and is how our government can serve the people not corporations.  




Sponsored by

To: CONGRESS
From: [Your Name]

In the last week and a half campuses all across the country have closed in order to contain the spread of COVID-19. While we understand the importance of these decisions, we are appalled that students have been evicted from residence halls and have lost on campus jobs. Hundreds of thousands of students across the country are struggling to pay for rent, food, tuition and healthcare.

This pandemic has revealed more starkly than ever how our institutions fail the most vulnerable students: homeless students, undocumented students, international students, queer and trans students, and students of color. These same students most affected by campus closures are the students most hurt by the skyrocketing cost of tuition and the weight of the student debt crisis.

We have also seen the way that the rapid spread of COVID-19 is creating both a public health crisis and an economic one. We are entering a period of economic devastation and health risk that threatens the lives of millions of Americans. Under our for-profit healthcare system, current students and the over 40 million people paying off student loan debt need every penny to survive. We are only as safe as the most vulnerable person in America: the uninsured, working person living paycheck to paycheck, while battling debt. When we protect them, we protect all of us.

Now is the time for us to unite across our differences and make policy choices that help every-day people -- not the richest 1% and a handful of corporations. As individuals, we wash our hands, avoid unnecessary travel and check in on our friends and neighbors. As a united force, we demand the federal government cancel $1.7 trillion in student loan debt in order to give millions of Americans a fighting chance at making it through this pandemic and recession.

Whether you have student debt or not, cancelling student debt will help everyone recover from the economic crisis we are in. Whether you are a student or never went to college, we all need the economy to start moving again, and for that to happen, we all need to be able to purchase the necessities we need like food on our table and a roofs over our heads- so we can stay at home and stop the spread COVID-19. When the public health crisis passes, if student loans are forgiven, all that money we’d be paying to the big banks would instead go into the economy and wages -- for waiters, drivers, retail workers, and all the restaurants -- which is exactly what all of us will need to recover after COVID-19. Forgiving student debt will stimulate the economy precisely when it is needed most and is how our government can serve the people not corporations.

Sincerely,

Student Action