I am extremely interested in the student debt crisis that currently plagues college graduates. As I apply to colleges, I cannot help but notice their astronomically high price tags. Throughout my lifetime, tuition prices have been increasing and financial aid has not, which has resulted in the current economic crisis young adults are facing. The price of tuition has made a college education unattainable for some and has forced many into extreme debt. As with most cases of social and economic injustice, minorities and women are hit the hardest by student loan debt. According to The Balance and research done by the American Association of University Women, “women own nearly two-thirds of the student loan debt in the U.S.,” and “as of 2018, women working full-time earn approximately 80% of what men are paid.” The gender pay gap results in women paying off their loans for a significantly longer period of time, therefore, it is much more difficult for them to get ahead financially after college. Additionally, The Balance reports that, “hispanic and black students are more likely to graduate with higher levels of debt than white students.”
