OCCUPY STUDENT DEBT

Student debtor stories submitted by the 99%


Sallie Mae: Forgive Student Debt

In 2010 something unthinkable happened – student debt surpassed credit card debt as the largest form of debt in this country, passing $800 billion dollars. In 2012 more history will be made as the amount of unpaid student debt climbs to $1 trillion dollars, with an additional $1 million dollars added to that number every 6 minutes.

The ripple effect that this has on our economy is crushing: students and recent graduates are forced into low-wage jobs in order to immediately start making payments back to banks and lenders; instead of stimulating the economy by spending millions of dollars, students and graduates are pinching pennies to just try to keep up with the interest on their loans; and the privatization of colleges and universities are expedited as the same loan agencies use the profit off of students to lobby for lower tax rates, forcing budget cuts to higher education in an economy where recent graduates struggle to find jobs.

Imagine students not working two part-time minimum wage jobs as they struggle to get through school, allowing them more time to participate in civic engagement. Imagine recent graduates not being pushed into a job market where they are forced to intentionally keep wages stagnant, allowing them the ability to work for non-profits or local businesses.

If we do not solve the student debt crisis the students of today will suffer, but the students of tomorrow may never have the opportunity to a college education. A generation of students will pay the hefty price of their student loans; but we must not forget that we will also pay the debt of an entire country ignoring the burden placed on those working to better their lives and communities by obtaining a college degree.

We are demanding that Sallie Mae, Inc. pay their fair share in fixing the economy by:

1. Forgive all student debt after 5 years of payments
2. Eliminate all interest on student loans

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION!
Albert Lord: We need to talk! Today is National Fax-in Day to Albert Lord, Sallie Mae’s CEO. We are asking for a meeting with students from around the country that will be visiting the Sallie Mae DC office. Below is a sample letter we are asking people to FAX to Albert Lord and Sallie Mae. CLICK HERE to do it from your computer. Albert Lord,For months now, we have been asking Sallie Mae to meet with us to talk about the burden that student debt causes us and our communities. We’ve only heard silence in return, so now we’re contacting you.1) Stop robbing us of our futures: Forgive student debt after five years of repayment and eliminate all interest on student loans. This would end the student debt crisis, allow millions of students to obtain a college degree, reset the housing market, pump billions of dollars back into the economy, and create jobs.2) Pay your fair share: Stop draining government of revenue. Pay the statutorily required 35% corporate income tax instead of gaming the system through off-shore tax shelters, loopholes, and scams.3) Get your money out of my democracy: Disclose corporate money in elections to date and pledge to keep all corporate money out of the 2012 and future elections. This includes an end to lobbying on public policy issues, such as Pell Grant and Trio Programs. 4) We need to talk. Albert Lord, will you meet with United States Student Association and Student Labor Action Project representatives on March 26th?Sincerely.Your Name Here TO: Albert Lord Sallie Mae, Inc P.O. Box 9532Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773-9532US Fax:(800) 848-1949

Albert Lord: We need to talk!

Today is National Fax-in Day to Albert Lord, Sallie Mae’s CEO. We are asking for a meeting with students from around the country that will be visiting the Sallie Mae DC office. Below is a sample letter we are asking people to FAX to Albert Lord and Sallie Mae. CLICK HERE to do it from your computer.

Albert Lord,

For months now, we have been asking Sallie Mae to meet with us to talk about the burden that student debt causes us and our communities. We’ve only heard silence in return, so now we’re contacting you.

1) Stop robbing us of our futures: Forgive student debt after five years of repayment and eliminate all interest on student loans. This would end the student debt crisis, allow millions of students to obtain a college degree, reset the housing market, pump billions of dollars back into the economy, and create jobs.

2) Pay your fair share: Stop draining government of revenue. Pay the statutorily required 35% corporate income tax instead of gaming the system through off-shore tax shelters, loopholes, and scams.

3) Get your money out of my democracy: Disclose corporate money in elections to date and pledge to keep all corporate money out of the 2012 and future elections. This includes an end to lobbying on public policy issues, such as Pell Grant and Trio Programs.

4) We need to talk. Albert Lord, will you meet with United States Student Association and Student Labor Action Project representatives on March 26th?

Sincerely.

Your Name Here

TO:

Albert Lord
Sallie Mae, Inc

P.O. Box 9532
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773-9532
US
Fax:(800) 848-1949

Source afl.salsalabs.com

Where will YOU be this week??? Stand up! Take action!

Student Debt Week of Action Feb 27 – March 2

If you want to participate in SLAP and USSA’s Student Debt Week of Action, click here to sign up.

On Monday: National Fax-in day to Albert Lord, Sallie Mae’s CEO, asking for a meeting with students from around the country that will be visiting their DC office. We will also continue to collect signatures for our petition, a banner that students are uniting behind.
On Tuesday: Students will escalate on their campus with banner drops, collect personal testimonies of students struggling with debt, track who their school banks with, and continue to fax-in to Albert Lord.
On Wednesday: Coordinated national showing of Default: The Student Loan Documentary on more than 50 college campuses to raise awareness of the growing issue.

On Thursday: SLAP students will be leading and participating in walk-outs and letter deliveries to corporate and governmental targets in solidarity with the March 1 National Day of Action For Education, including Sallie Mae and the Department of Education.
On Friday: Based on where students are regionally at there will be lobby visits to Congress members asking for regulations to be put on student loan lenders, an increase to student aid, and to reduce the rate of federal loans.

#OccupyStudentDebt!!!