A gift left the Morehouse Class of '19 debt-free. Here's how it's changing their lives.

May 13, 2021
Billionaire investor Robert F. Smith paid off their student loans. Now they're trying to pay their good fortune forward.
Elijah Dormeus is “literally still in awe of the love that was given to the class, all 400 of us.” Above, Dormeus is surrounded by his family at his Morehouse graduation in 2019.
Courtesy Elijah Dormeus

Education may help close the racial wealth gap, but it isn't a panacea

Apr 8, 2021
Darrick Hamilton, a co-author of a recent study from the New School, describes other ways to address the disparity that hurts Black Americans.
New graduates at Agnes Scott College in Georgia. African Americans need access to capital, Darrick Hamilton says.
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Pandemic makes Public Service Loan Forgiveness more difficult

Dec 9, 2020
For people pursuing student loan forgiveness, getting laid off means they're no longer able to make qualifying payments for PSLF.
Nearly 25% of people with student loans working in nonprofits or public service have had a significant change in their work situation during the pandemic, according to a recent survey from TIAA.
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Would canceling $10,000 in student debt really help that much?

Nov 23, 2020
Comprehensive policy is crucial in solving the student debt crisis, experts say, but $10,000 of debt forgiveness could actually do a lot to help the people who need it most right now.
President-elect Joe Biden expressed support for student debt forgiveness up to $10,000 at a press conference on Nov. 16 in Wilmington, Delaware.
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The student debt crisis hits Black Americans the hardest

Aug 17, 2020
How systemic racism fueled the student debt crisis for Black borrowers.
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Image

What does Trump's order on student loans actually mean for borrowers?

Aug 13, 2020
The president over the weekend signed a memorandum extending the current payment pause and interest waiver for most federal student loans through the end of the year.
Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Grad students will receive billions in debt forgiveness

Feb 13, 2020
The CBO released a report this week estimating that over the next decade, the federal government will forgive $207 billion in student loans.
A student walking on the University of California, Los Angeles, campus.
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One idea to pay off student debt: use your retirement account

Dec 5, 2019
Senator Rand Paul wants to allow people to use retirement accounts to pay off student debt, tax- and penalty-free.
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Middle-class families are struggling to pay for college

Sep 24, 2019
"Indebted" delves into how the college affordability gap defines middle class life in America.
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