LULAC Urges President Biden To Fix The Broken Student Loan System Before Restarting Payments

Nation’s Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Joins Coalition in Demanding Immediate Action to Deliver Promised Debt Relief

WASHINGTON, DC – The League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC) has joined more than 125 organizations representing millions of students, workers, people of color, veterans, people with disabilities, and people of faith in calling on President Biden to fix the broken student loan system and deliver promised student debt relief. The request comes ahead of tens of millions of borrowers, including former Latino students and graduates, who are scheduled to resume making payments on their outstanding loans.

Student loan payments, interest charges, and debt collection are currently suspended through the end of September due to an executive action taken by President Biden on inauguration day. Advocates warned that resuming payments will throw borrowers back into a system plagued by breakdowns, corruption, and abuse, where people were often left paying debts they did not owe or should no longer be paying. A rush to resume payments without meaningful action to address the student debt crisis will undermine promises by the President to fix the student loan system and build back better.

"Why should getting a college education in America in the 21st Century still be seen as a costly privilege and carry thousands of dollars of debt?” asks Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. “Why not invest in our citizens and make access to both community colleges and public universities free? Not long ago, elementary schools were only private, and that changed. Now, it's time we free our young men and women from student loans that shackle them for years. These burdens prevent many from starting their businesses or new careers, both of which would boost our economy."

“What more can our government do to help the country build back better?” asks Sindy Benavides, LULAC National Chief Executive Officer. “Our government can do more to increase grant funding for students planning to attend college. Former Latino students and graduates are among the millions of people carrying the burden of student debt because of the lack of investment in college education for the future workforce of the nation. It is unconscionable that the wealthiest nation does not do more for the very people who will invigorate the workplace and move the country to higher achievements,” adds Benavides.

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services, and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting the critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/