'The Cruelty Is Just the Point': A Broken Student Loan System Has Women at the Center | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.

"I broke down three times today. I have a disease that will inevitably make me completely disabled, and I can't afford the treatment because I'm hemorrhaging money to a 20-year-old debt."

"The Department of Education hasn't forgiven her loans, she said, because it is excluding two full years of her public service, a period when she taught full time but enrolled in a teacher training program at night."

"Over the past year, millions of borrowers have run into similar difficulties trying to navigate a student loan system that has grown more confusing and chaotic during President Donald Trump's second term."

Mary Modica transitioned from a radio career to teaching, expecting student debt forgiveness after a decade of payments. After 12 years of teaching English learners, she still owes $102,000. Her monthly payments increased by 71% to $875, causing financial strain. Modica's loans were not forgiven due to the exclusion of two years of public service while she was in a teacher training program. Additionally, some of her pre-pandemic payment history is missing from federal records, complicating her situation further.

Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.