The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision striking down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is disheartening and foreshadows an American future of financial worry and lack of higher education opportunities, particularly for Black borrowers.  

This decision comes just 24 hours after the Court’s ruling that affirmative action is unconstitutional, another devastating blow to the pursuit of equity in higher education.  

According to the Department of Education, 72% of Black students go into debt to finance their education, compared to 56% of white students. A gap in borrowing between men and women also exists, as women of color are 20% more likely to have student loan debt than majority men.  

At Howard University, we know higher education transforms the lives of young people, especially our first-generation students. Nearly 45% of our student body uses Pell Grants to cover educational expenses. As an institution dedicated to serving the educational needs of students from all cultural backgrounds and uplifting communities that have far often been neglected, it is imperative that we take action to protect our current and future students.  

It cannot go without mentioning the societal implications of cancelling student loan debt from the millions of borrowers – the racial wealth gap would narrow, educational and socioeconomic opportunities would increase particularly in communities of color, and the stress of financial instability would be alleviated for generations of educated Americans. 

Many of our students arrive at our University from under-resourced backgrounds, using loans and other financial incentives to earn a degree to better not only their own future, but create economic advancement opportunities for their families and future generations.  

This Supreme Court’s decision not only restricts our country’s economic future, but discourages potential students from pursuing life-changing education due to concerns that they can’t handle the financial burden that often comes along with higher education.  

Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we stand together to support our institutions whose mission it is to provide access to higher education for students from traditionally under-resourced communities.