Penn Law students urge admin. to arrange meeting about student debt with Biden officials

A group of Penn Law students wrote an open letter exposing President Biden’s argument at a meeting in City Hall on February 16 that Ivy League students do not deserve student debt relief.

Photo credit: Sukhmani Kaur

After President Joe Biden said he would “not cancel the student debt for people who went to Harvard and Yale and Penn,” Penn Law School students request that the university administration arrange a meeting between the Biden administration and students and alumni, the federal student loan debt.

Speaking at a City Hall meeting on Feb. 16, Biden said he would not support the cancellation of student loan debt for students attending Ivy League universities, citing Penn in particular. In response, a group of Penn Law students jointly wrote an open letter to refute Biden’s argument that Ivy League students don’t deserve student debt relief. Over 100 students, alumni and allies have signed the open letter requesting that the Penn administration arrange a meeting between the Biden administration and students and alumni so they can share their experiences as student debtors.

Biden stated at City Hall that he would only consider canceling debts of up to $ 10,000 to help students, rather than the plan to cancel up to $ 50,000 in debt as many had expected. He added that student debt relief from elite institutions should be better spent on other priorities such as early childhood education or the free provision of community colleges.

“We refuse to allow the Ivy League student stereotype to excuse the Biden administration from executing debt relief for millions of Americans, many of whom are our own loved ones,” the open letter said.

Penn Law aspiring JD third-year candidate Magali Duque said the open letter arose out of a desire to challenge the monolithic view of Penn students as wealthy and undeserved for debt relief, even though Biden’s policies were substantial, on the contrary Impact on reducing the racial wealth gap and the pursuit of financial justice for many.

“[Student debt relief] Would greatly relieve color students and all low-income students from the unjust burden of incurring disproportionate debt to get an education, pursue a career, live a decent life and make meaningful contributions to the economy, ”said Duque .

Duque said she also signed the letter because after graduating from Penn in 2022, after attending a total of three universities, she would hold over $ 400,000 in student debt.

Kristen Smith, a 2015 graduate of the School of Social Practice and Policy currently working on SP2, signed the letter as a four-year-old first-generation college student who has amassed over $ 200,000 in student debt. Smith said that as a first-generation college student, she initially didn’t know how the college debt would affect her.

“There’s this misconception that most Ivy League college graduates come from privileged families who have the resources to help them with their debts. But that’s not true,” Smith said.

The open letter also emphasizes the importance of student debt relief to ensure that all students have the opportunity to pursue careers in the civil service.

While Zachary Green, an aspiring sophomore sophomore at Penn Law, received a full scholarship to Penn Law and has no student debt, he signed the letter as an ally because he believes his classmates should be able to get their postgraduates navigate careers without the burden of student debt.

“The reason I came [to Penn Law] is because I realized that walking away from here would actually allow me to do what I would like to do, “said Green.” The choices that are available to me are the choices that everyone has should be available. ”

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Biden’s statement previously sparked a backlash among first-generation Penn students and low-income students. Up-and-coming Wharton and FGLI student Faith Bochert previously told the Daily Pennsylvanian that she took Biden’s testimony as a “direct insult” because she believed Biden’s comment was her accomplishment in getting Penn admission to FGLI , discredited.

While the group is currently awaiting more signatures and testimony before reaching out to the Penn administration, they are determined to share their stories, views and results as students holding federal loan debt with university administrations, organizers said.

“As law students who have experienced and understood the economic impact of debt on our lives and communities, we felt called to action given our unique and privileged position as Penn students,” said Duque.

source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/penn-law-students-urge-admin-to-arrange-meeting-about-student-debt-with-biden-officials/