Red Alert - March
Join our call for a one-year payment pause on federal student debt!
“Finance boasts of being abstract, of belonging to the sky of mysterious quotes, of functioning according to logics that cannot be comprehended by common people… By narrating how it functions in households, popular (largely non-waged), and waged economies, we defy its power of abstraction, its attempt to be unfathomable. “
— Verónica Gago and Lucí Cavallero, A Feminist Reading of Debt
If you’re feeling confused and disoriented by the many recent changes to the student loan system, you’re not alone. To distract from their costly and unprovoked attacks on Iran, Trump and his administration have been flooding the zone with unlawful efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, leaving student debtors holding the bag.
On the heels of killing the SAVE repayment plan through a dubious judicial process, the Department of Education recently announced a blatantly illegal scheme to transfer a portion of the 1.7 trillion dollar student debt portfolio to the Treasury. This transfer could lead to unprecedented data security risks, legal violations, and additional junk fees to cover the cost of debt collection — all while raising student debtors’ monthly payments by hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually.
While gas, utilities, and healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, more than 45 million student debtors — many of whom are already struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living — will be expected to pay the price for the Trump administration’s incompetence. We won’t stand for it.
That’s why we’re calling on the Trump administration to implement a one-year pause on federal student loan debt repayment and collections services for all federal student debtors. The first Trump administration paused payments during the COVID-19 pandemic — there’s no reason why they can’t do it again. Will you join us?
Read on for the latest on our lawsuit to reinstate SAVE, our campaign to abolish rent debt in California, and how you can plug in.
Higher Education
From organizing Debt Collective members to challenge the court decision that killed SAVE to navigating the impacts of the student debt loan portfolio transfer, it’s been a busy month for our team!
On the former, please join us tonight at 8pm ET / 5pm PT for an update on our work to defend the SAVE Plan and how you can get involved. On the latter, we encourage all federal student debtors to open up a case file with your House Representative’s constituent services and request a copy of all of your entire payment history, including payment amount and repayment status details for each month. Even though some of this information is available on StudentAid.gov, many debtors are unable to piece together the various files to access their own loan information. A complete history will allow you to document errors on your accounts, get a record of your loans to document errors that could occur in the future, and disrupt business as usual for Republican lawmakers. Use this tool to look up and contact your Representative.
Not all hope is lost on the student debt cancellation front. Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Department of Education’s stay request in an ongoing class action lawsuit, meaning that more than 200,000 borrowers will receive full debt cancellation within the next year! We are also continuing the fight for College for All through our Jubilee School event series. Join us tonight at 5pm ET / 2pm PT to learn from former Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Doha Mekki about the ways that colleges and universities might be violating antitrust laws through tuition pricing, and sign up for our upcoming sessions!
Healthcare
As we build an organized response to the implementation of Trump’s devastating cuts to Medicaid and other programs millions across the country rely on to survive, we’re looking to the state of Nebraska first. New Medicaid work requirements which are specifically designed to kick people off their healthcare won’t take effect in most states until January 1 of next year — but in Nebraska, these devastating policies will be in place starting May 1.
That’s why we’re planning a series of Nebraska Health-Watch events and Debtors’ Assemblies with partners across the state in late April, where we’ll discuss how to navigate these new requirements, why they’re happening, and how we can most strategically organize right now to fight for our healthcare and each other. On the ground in Nebraska and want to know more? Fill out this form and we’ll follow up with dates and locations!
If you don’t live in Nebraska but want to get involved, join us virtually next Tuesday at 7pm ET / 4pm ET for Power Mapping the Healthcare System in 2026. We’ll discuss what’s changed in the fight to abolish medical debt under Trump, what hasn’t, and opportunities to build power toward the healthcare system we want and deserve. We know that public healthcare in this country would be cheaper, safer, and more sensible for everyone than the system we have now. Instead, the few public programs we have are being ripped away. We’re not giving them up without a fight.
Housing
Since January 5th, we’ve seen a 20% increase in use of the Tenant Power Toolkit in California due to its inclusion in a study trial! Our Toolkit is helping tenants in California avoid default judgments in their eviction trials — an important first step in buying tenants time to fight their cases.
In response to rampant tenant exploitation by corporate landlords like Equity Residential, we’ve launched the Landlord Reporting Tool to help current and former tenants fight their rent debt charges and document the abusive business practices they’ve experienced in buildings owned by Equity Residential. Our ultimate goal is to build a compelling case for the California Attorney General to enforce existing regulations that would curb these predatory practices and abolish rent debt altogether. If you’re a current or former tenant of an Equity Residential Building, please fill out the Landlord Reporting Tool and we’ll get in touch with you!
Upcoming Events
College for All Jubilee School: Tuition Pricing & Antitrust Law
Thursday, March 26th 5pm ET / 2pm PT
Join guest speaker Doha Mekki, formerly the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the DOJ’s antitrust division, to learn how corporate consolidation in education drives up tuition and how antitrust enforcement can help protect affordability.
Rapid Response: SAVE Plan Update
Thursday, March 26th 8pm ET / 5pm PT
We’re organizing debtors to demand that the Trump administration protect and fully implement SAVE, deliver cancellation to qualified debtors, and restore access to SAVE repayment benefits like lower monthly payments. Join us and our partners at Student Debt Crisis Center and Public Goods Practice to discuss next steps for debtors and for the movement.
Final Friday Flow
Friday, March 27th 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT
Friday, April 24th 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT
Held on the last Friday of each month, these gatherings are designed to remind us that the path to debt abolition and collective liberation begins within. Through guided somatic and movement-based practices, we’ll transform exhaustion into power, fear into vision, and pain into purpose.
Power Mapping the Healthcare System in 2026
Tuesday, March 31st 7pm ET / 4pm PT
We know the U.S. healthcare system isn’t working for us — so why is it so difficult to change, and why does it keep getting worse? Join us as we resume our Power Mapping the Healthcare System series to discuss what’s changed under Trump, what hasn’t, and where we can build power in this moment of crisis to fight for the healthcare system and the world we want.
New Member Call
Wednesday, April 1st 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Curious about the Debt Collective and how we’re organizing to abolish debt? Our New Member Call is a space to learn who we are, what we’re fighting for, and how you can plug in. We’ll cover what the Debt Collective is and how we organize, the campaigns we’re running, and ways for members to get involved.
Office Hours: Student Loans & Filing Your Taxes
Monday, April 6th 12pm ET / 9am PT
This session will cover some Frequently Asked Questions related to tax filing and student loans, and will also provide information about free tax filing resources from GetYour Refund.
Movement Monday
Monday, April 6th 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT
Held on the first Monday of each month, these gatherings invite us to pause, breathe, and reconnect with our bodies as a vital part of organizing for debt abolition and collective care. We’ll check in with ourselves and each other through accessible, grounding somatic practices that support nervous system regulation, accountability, and mutual support.
PSLF Action Call
Tuesday, April 7th at 7pm ET / 5pm PT
Please join us as we discuss upcoming action items related to securing and defending the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Office Hours: Debtors in Default
Wednesday, April 8th 5pm ET / 2pm PT
Tuesday, April 21th 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT
Join us as we discuss options for debtors with federal student loans in default. We will cover options that require repayment, like rehabilitation and consolidation, as well as options that do not, like loan cancellation. We will also provide information about free tax filing resources from GetYourRefund.
College for All Jubilee School: An Abolitionist History of the University
Thursday, April 16th 5pm ET/ 2pm PT
Abolitionist University Studies authors Eli Meyerhoff, Abbie Boggs, Nick Mitchell, and Zach Schwartz will provide an overview of what abolitionist perspectives provide for thinking about the university in our moment of fascist authoritarianism and war. Together, we’ll explore questions of debt and capture to make sense of the perceived inevitability of capitalism and expand our imaginative horizons to see the world from the perspectives of those who have resisted debt and capture.
Office Hours: Parent PLUS Loans
Thursday, April 16th 6pm ET / 3pm PT
If you have Parent PLUS loans, you may need to take steps well before July 1, 2026 to make sure your loans qualify for lower payments and cancellation. Come to these office hours to learn about the situation facing PLUS borrowers and take the first steps together to consolidate.
50 Over 50 Monthly Call
Thursday, April 16th 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Are you 50 years old or older? Do you have student loan debt? Join our 50/50 meeting for student debtors aged fifty and above to discuss action steps, organizing plans, and build solidarity. Newcomers are welcome!
Antifascist Organizing Against Attacks on Professors, Speech, & Curriculum with CAHE
Friday, April 17th 2pm ET / 11am PT
On National Day of Action, higher education leaders will share their firsthand experiences organizing campaigns, mobilizing communities, and defending academic freedom under increasingly hostile conditions. This panel was organized by Coalition for Action in Higher Education (CAHE)’s anti-fascism caucus and will be co-facilitated by Debt Collective Visionary Escalator Dr. Shamell Bell.
College for All Jubilee School: The Erosion of Academic Labor with HELU
Thursday, April 23 5pm ET / 2pm PT
Colleges and universities are core to our communities and economy. How do we grow the higher ed labor movement while building consciousness of ourselves as workers? Join speakers from Higher Education Labor United (HELU) to explore strategies for building connections and trust between different kinds of workers so that we can move in coordinated action in the future.
Borrower Defense: The Landscape, Updates & Workshop
Tuesday, April 28th 8pm ET / 5pm PT
Our Monthly Borrower Defense Calls are designed for borrowers navigating fraud, misconduct, and student loan injustice. Each call provides timely updates on the Borrower Defense landscape, current litigation, and policy developments alongside practical guidance on asserting your rights and filing claims.
