Three Ways to Get Involved in the Student Loan Fight

A student loan is the single-biggest financial burden on students today. More than 40 million borrowers owe a total of $1.6 trillion in student loans, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The average borrower owes nearly $37,000 in federal loans and an additional $10,000 in private loans. While the number of borrowers who defaulted on their loans has decreased slightly from the previous year, nearly 44 percent of current student loan borrowers are behind on payments, putting them at risk of foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Student debt is crushing Americans at all income levels, but it’s hitting low-income families particularly hard. A report released by New America and Georgetown University’s Center on Education Policy found that if borrowers were forced to make monthly payments based on their median annual family income, they would pay a combined $15 billion more over 10 years. Meanwhile, the average federal loan balance has increased by 80% since 2006.

Here are three ways that you can get involved in the fight against student lending reform:

Attend Your State Representative’s Lobby Days

Lobby days are scheduled throughout the year where state representatives meet directly with constituents to discuss issues of concern. These events give you the opportunity not only to voice your opinion about particular bills but to also talk directly to elected officials about how they have voted on issues similar to yours. You can find your state representative here:

Call Congress!

Call your senators and representatives to let them know that the student loan crisis should be taken seriously. 3. Tell Us Your Story

If you’re struggling to keep up with payments and feel like no one is listening, share your story. Let people know that you’ve been affected by these policies and share your experiences. You could even create a petition asking lawmakers to help fix the issue! Here are some sites that might help:

There’s a lot going on right now to try and fix student lending. Make sure that you check back often and stay informed about what’s happening. Don’t forget to share this video with someone else!

Three Ways to Get Involved in the Student Loan Fight

Join a student loan activism group at your school.

Find your school’s financial aid office or student government association. 2. Plan a walk-out or sit-in at your university.

Walk out of class—tell your professor that you cannot attend class until you receive a clear answer regarding your loans. 3. Send an email to your congressperson and senators

Three Ways to Get Involved in the Student Loan Fight

Donate Money

One way to help student loan debtors who have been denied bankruptcy protection is to donate money to organizations that provide assistance to these individuals. These organizations include Free2Families, the National Public Bankruptcy Rights Organization, and the Student Debt Campaign. All three organizations work to ensure that student loan borrowers receive relief under federal bankruptcy laws without being forced to pay back their loans. In addition to monetary donations, any kind of volunteer time is greatly appreciated by those seeking financial aid.

Volunteer

Another great way to lend a hand to student loan borrowers is to volunteer at local non-profit organizations that provide services to low-income families. For example, you may want to become a tutor for children or visit the elderly. Volunteering in these ways can give you greater insight into the problems faced by low-income people and ultimately improve your own life.

Become a Lobbyist

If you feel strongly about the issue of student loan default, then you should consider becoming a lobbyist. Being a lobbyist means advocating for legislation that addresses the issues surrounding student loan defaults. This can mean lobbying politicians, writing letters to newspapers, submitting articles to online news sites, speaking out at community events, and/or donating money to organizations that promote education reform.

Three Ways to Get Involved in the Student Loan Fight

Signing the online petition

The first step to getting involved is signing our online student loan petition. By signing, we’re showing Congress that they need to listen to students, not just lenders, before making any changes to student loans. We have collected over 1.2 million signatures already!

Call your member of Congress.

Next, call your members of Congress and tell them to protect student borrowers. Your representatives listen to their constituents, so calling them is one of the best ways to get heard. 3. Take part in a rally

We’ve partnered with Rally for Real Change to organize rallies around the nation.

Three Ways to Get Involved in the Student Loan Fight

For those who don’t know me, I am an active student loan borrower myself. I have been paying off my college loans since the summer of 2015 (I graduated from college in June 2014). But what started out as an individual journey has now become an issue that affects millions across the country, and it’s time to get involved. So here’s how you can help make things right.

1-Spread the word

The first thing we need to do is get the message out there that student loans are not fair. We need to tell everyone about the injustice happening in our society today. There isn’t enough information about student loans out there, and people don’t understand what they’re actually doing to their lives. Many people believe they’ll never pay this back. However, recent statistics show that only about 25% of borrowers have defaulted on their student loans. That means 75% of us, including myself, have paid them back. If you haven’t yet read the book called “Borrower Beware” by David Zaring, then please check it out. He explains all the hidden fees and tricks people use to try and scam lenders. It’s really worth reading.

2-Sign this petition

Our second step is to sign a petition. You can find this on change.org. In the description box, type, “Students shouldn’t have to choose between going to school or paying their bills.” Then add your name and email address. Please share this link with everyone you know!

3-Educate yourself.

As soon as you sign this petition, go to www.studentloanjustice.com and start learning. Join the Facebook group, follow Instagram, and watch videos by the organization. Learn everything you can about student loans and how they affect young adults today.

If you want to learn more about the issues surrounding student loans, there are two documentaries on Netflix that were created by a couple of students at Harvard University that explain the problem well. Check them out. One is called, “American Dream”, and the other one is called, “We’re All Just Little Kids Inside.”

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