Best Fix for the Student Debt Dilemma
December 9, 2025
Following a long political and legal battle, the US Department of Education has proposed ending the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, student debt repayment plan and moving current borrowers into more stringent repayment plans, NPR reports. Students in STEM fields face especially tough financial challenges, Dominique J. Baker notes in Issues, adding that the real solution to the student debt problem is “making college more affordable in the first place.” She calls on policymakers, researchers, and education leaders to examine potential policy steps, including setting national tuition caps, to lower cost barriers, especially for underrepresented degree seekers.