"You can’t talk about student debt without talking about the Great Recession."

“There’s a generational fairness issue."

“It’s a lot of debt out there. But that debt and the burden of that debt is not necessarily being felt equally. It’s extremely difficult for borrowers of color in particular."

To fairly evaluate any higher education reform proposal, we must understand the ways that these dual burdens—less wealth and more debt—lead to worse outcomes for Black students than white students.

"The bigger problem is that the payoff to a college degree is lower for students of color than it is for white students."

“This is a problem that has not gone away but has gotten worse in many communities."

A new report from the left-leaning think tank Demos argues that looking at borrowers' income alone provides limited insight into student loan burdens.

“The gauntlet has been laid. It also reminds us that public policy really does have a role to play. We should take a hard look at why this was needed in the first place.”

“Not only are students of color more likely to borrow more for a degree, and borrow in higher amounts for the same degree, but they’re more likely to struggle to repay student loans than white students."

Eliminating all student debt, per Sanders' plan, would increase the wealth gap between white and black households, according to one 2015 study co-authored by left-leaning think tank Demos.