1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to address the long-term burden of student loan debt by introducing legislation to reduce federal student loan interest rates to 1%. Millions of Americans—myself included—entered higher education with the promise that it would lead to stable employment and economic mobility. Instead, we find ourselves buried under decades of compounding interest on loans we have been steadily repaying. With the promise of broad student loan forgiveness now effectively off the table, the very least Congress can do is ensure that repayment is fair and does not result in lifelong debt traps. Unlike mortgages or car loans, student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, and borrowers are left vulnerable to compounding interest that turns modest loans into insurmountable obligations. Many of us have already paid back the original amount borrowed—but due to interest rates far above inflation, our balances have barely budged. A 1% interest rate would: Acknowledge the public benefit of higher education. Prevent predatory profit off borrowers trying to improve their lives. Reduce the financial pressure on millions of Americans contributing to the economy. Ensure the federal government is not acting as a high-interest lender to its own citizens. Student loan debt disproportionately impacts women, people of color, and low-income borrowers—many of whom took out loans not just for themselves but to uplift future generations. We deserve a fair system. If we’re no longer talking about forgiveness, let’s at least talk about fairness. I urge you to support or sponsor legislation to reduce federal student loan interest rates to 1%. This is not a radical idea—it’s a necessary correction.