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State of the Bay

City Visions: Drowning in Student Loan Debt

iStock/MonthiraYodtiwong

On the presidential campaign, student loan debt is a hot topic with good reason. Nationally, borrowers hold nearly $1.5 trillion in debt, and here in the Bay Area, student loan debt has nearly tripled in the last 15 years to $26.6 billion. Borrowers are taking longer to repay loans and more students are finding college out of reach. Why is student loan debt ballooning? What can be done to solve this crisis?  

Guests:

Jacob Dumez: Manager of Policy and Partners in San Francisco’s Office of Financial Empowerment which co-authored an April 2019 study on Bay Area student loan debt.

 

Juliana Fredman: Senior consumer protection attorney with Bay Area Legal Aid who works directly with low-income clients through the Legal Aid’s clinic. She is a graduate of UC Hastings Law School.

 

Suzanne Martindale: Senior Policy Counsel & Western States Legislative Manager for Consumer Reports. Her areas of expertise include student loans, banking, payments, debt collection and small-dollar credit, and she is the author of “Degrees of Debt: Stories from Student Loan Borrowers Highlight Urgent Need for Reform."

 

Resources:

 

Bay Area Legal Aid

San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Form

Assembly Bill 376

National Consumer Law Center: Student Loans
Student Loan Borrowers Assistance