Our Statement in Response to SCOTUS Ruling on Student Debt Relief
Generation Hope believes that educational growth and development lead to a future of endless possibilities and that higher education should be accessible to all people, regardless of economic background. As we advocate for and with student parents, we champion policies that increase financial aid support and ease the economic hardships experienced by the 1 in 5 college students who are parenting while earning a degree in the United States. For this reason, we condemn the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the Biden administration’s student debt relief plan.
Fewer than 2% of teen mothers earn a college degree before age 30, often because financial barriers — including high tuition costs, cost-of-living inflation, inaccessible basic needs, and exorbitant child care expenses — can be insurmountable. Rather than seizing the opportunity to take action to support college affordability and access for millions of people nationwide, the Supreme Court has perpetuated economic injustices that keep millions of families in poverty.
Striking down the Biden administration’s debt relief plan, which was designed to alleviate the overwhelming financial burden on millions of American students, alumni, and their families, will harm hardworking people nationwide who pursued degrees and wanted to secure family-sustaining careers, experience economic mobility, and build generational wealth. This harmful decision will have multi-generational impacts — impacts felt most acutely by low-income communities and communities of color.
Relieving student debt is a matter of racial justice. More than half of student parents nationwide (51%) are people of color. More specifically, Black parents hold a disproportionate amount of student debt, borrowing an average of $18,100 for college compared to $13,500 among all students. Nationwide only 14% of Black students and 33% of Latinx students graduate with no debt. In contrast, of those participating in Generation Hope’s Scholar Program, 28% of Black students and 61% of Latinx students graduate debt-free, proving that investments and holistic supports matter. These graduates can move into family-sustaining careers without student loan debt holding them and their families back, something all students deserve to experience.
Though disappointing, today’s Supreme Court ruling on student loan debt forgiveness does not dampen our dedication to uplifting student parents and helping them succeed in higher education and beyond. Generation Hope will continue to support student parents and advocate for policy and system changes that ensure all families have the opportunity to succeed in higher education, experience economic mobility, and live full lives.
