November 17, 2020 — Report

Even before COVID-19, student loan borrowers struggled under the weight of more than $1.6 trillion in debt. One in four borrowers was in default or serious delinquency, and many worried about their ability to make student loan payments while covering other basic needs. Because of decades of structural inequities and discrimination, student loans have burdened Black and Latino borrowers more than other groups, and now these borrowers of color are also among those disproportionately harmed by COVID-19. Millions of lives were already stymied by student loan debt before the public health crisis. Now, as borrowers struggle with COVID-19 and a looming recession, they are bracing for financial disaster.