Kean University president calls for national solution to student debt crisis

Kean University president calls for national solution to student debt crisis

UNION, NJ — Kean University President Lamont Repollet, Ed.D., joined Kean students and national leaders today in a virtual panel to discuss potential solutions to the US debt crisis. students across the country.

“Even here at Kean — with our best efforts and focus on keeping a Kean college degree affordable — many of our students graduate with debt that weighs them down as they launch their working lives,” Repollet told executives. politicians and advocates. “As a country, we just need to find solutions for these graduates to help them launch their careers and support their families. This will benefit generations of students and contribute to a healthier economy.

US Senator Bob Menendez sponsored the virtual forum calling on the Biden administration to forgive up to $50,000 in student loan debt for federal borrowers. Joining the conversation with Kean students Jason Pleitez and Delia Latini.

“We know education is important,” said Pleitez, a business student and president of the Student Government Association. “Every aspiring student should have the freedom to pursue higher education without fear of racking up thousands of dollars in debt.”

Repollet is committed to continuing the conversation about student loan debt on the Kean campus with the President’s Advisory Council, a student group and others, helping students tap into resources that can reduce their debt. , such as the new State Garden State Guarantee Program.

Kean, New Jersey’s most affordable full college, will also work with senior graduates to educate them about predatory lending practices and ways to manage any debt they may have after graduation.

Latini, who is a communication major and a threesome, said the cost of her undergraduate degree is extremely important to her as she plans to go to law school.

“I wanted a school that could give me the most, but would be the most affordable,” Latini said. “I would like to pursue a law degree, and student debt affects that decision whether I go to law school or work first.”

Repollet and others on the forum said the problem of student debt falls disproportionately on students of color and first-generation college students.

“As a minority-serving institution and a Hispanic-serving institution, Kean has many students who are the first in their families to go to college. We are proud of the work we do to make Kean the most affordable comprehensive college in New Jersey,” he said. “It’s our moral obligation to do whatever we can to support them.”
PHOTOS / CAPTIONS:

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Kean Lamont Chairman O. Repollet, Ed.D., U.S. Senator Cory Booker, and Kean students Jason Pleitez and Delia Latini discussed potential solutions to the student loan debt crisis in across the country in a virtual forum. (Photo credit: Kean University)

ABOUT KEAN UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1855, Kean University is one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher learning in the region, with a highly diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. Kean continues to play a key role in teacher training and is a center of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving more than 16,000 students. The University’s six undergraduate colleges offer more than 50 undergraduate degrees in a full range of academic subjects. Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers seven doctoral programs and more than 70 graduate options leading to master’s degrees, professional degrees, or certifications. With campuses in Union, Toms River, Jefferson and Manahawkin, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University pursues its mission of providing an affordable and accessible world-class education. To visit www.kean.edu.

(Visited 13 times, 1 visits today)