TICAS Response to Senate Request for Proposals to Address Racial Disparities in Student Debt and Higher Education

In January, Senators Jones, Warren, Harris, and Cortez Masto requested recommendations to improve federal policies for student borrowers of color and make access to higher education more equitable. TICAS’ response outlines specific policy priorities for providing better support to students of color and addressing some of the unacceptable equity gaps in spending, debt, and default. Our recommendations fall into three categories: reducing the need to borrow; streamlining and strengthening repayment of federal student loans based on income; and strengthening college accountability to protect students from colleges that are predatory or leave students with unaffordable debts.