Jacobin Radio Dig: Student Debt w/ Ryann Liebenthal, Chenjerai Kumanyika, Mike Pierce
Jun 17, 2025
This discussion features Ryann Liebenthal, a writer focused on student debt, along with Chenjerai Kumanyika, a journalism professor and audio documentarian, and Mike Pierce, director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. They dive into the alarming rise of student debt, which now surpasses $1.8 trillion, and argue for systemic reforms including free college. The conversation also tackles the predatory nature of for-profit colleges, the emotional toll of debt, and the importance of collective action to challenge the current financial landscape of higher education.
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Broaden Higher Education View
- Higher education encompasses more than elite universities; it includes diverse institutions and many labor roles.
- Precarious faculty and staff who sustain universities highlight the need to broaden how we view higher education.
Education's Shift to Economic Value
- U.S. higher education shifted from elite training to mass workforce preparation over decades.
- Education is now valued more for its economic payoff than as a pursuit of knowledge.
GI Bill's Complex Legacy
- The GI Bill expanded access to education but was designed with economic management and racial exclusion.
- It laid groundwork for individual aid rather than institutional funding, influencing future student aid policy.