Student debt clinics

As a union, we are fighting to make college affordable and student debt manageable. However, 44 million people in the United States are saddled with student loan debt.

• Do you or a family member have student loan debt?
• Are you struggling to make monthly payments or worrying about student loans following you throughout your life?
• Are you tired of getting phone calls from loan servicers, or concerned about how to tell scams from genuine help when it comes to debt forgiveness?

For members, we suggest http://www.cancelmystudentdebt.org, a resource for those who need to learn the landscape of free and underused federal programs that help many student loan borrowers lower their monthly payments and, in some cases, even have their debt forgiven.

For affiliates that want to take on student debt as a way to engage members and fight forward on college costs, we also offer student debt clinics where we lay out these programs in detail.

In a 90-minute session, AFT Student Debt Clinics provide:

• Information on how to enroll in income-driven student loan repayment programs;
• Help in enrolling in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program;
• Opportunities to interact with members who haven’t been engaged with their union;
• A curriculum that demonstrates the power of our union in improving the lives of AFT members and the people in our communities;
• A resource to help persuade union members to become activists and leaders.

We can help you set up a Student Debt Clinic for your members or prospective members, and can train your members or staff to run these clinics, too.

Contact AFT Higher Education at debtclinic@aft.org to start setting up a Student Debt Clinic program with your affiliate.