Alan, this is so well stated. Thank you for sharing. I am in complete agreement. Canceling student debt is only step one. But, as you say, what good is that long-term if students still continue incurring massive amounts of debt? We need a sustainable solution for higher education to be made available to all.

Something else that also saddens me is the social emphasis put upon practicality and utility above all else, as though a liberal arts education were a waste of time. There is a need for learning skills, but there is also value in studying the arts and neither should be a privilege only available to the wealthy or one which students from low-income backgrounds are shamed for pursuing.