To the editor:

I am a sophomore at the University of Kansas. I have already incurred thousands of dollars of debt pursuing what I think is a sensible, safe degree that will hopefully result in a stable job. However, I know from looking at my parents and reading other people’s experiences online that I will most likely spend the next 20 years or more trying to pay off my student loans. I am afraid to continue my education because I am afraid that as a result of the extreme debt I will incur, I will one day be jobless and maybe homeless, unable to marry someone I love or unable to raise children.

Recently I learned that there is a movement to encourage institutions to forgive student loan debt. Everyone should be aware of this movement and understand what a good idea it is. For one thing, students go to universities not just for their own entertainment but to gain a valuable education to build our roads and write our laws and design and construct the clothing we wear and the furniture we sit on, and many other important things. It should not be so ridiculously expensive to attend a university that intelligent people cannot afford to get the education they want and need.

Furthermore, millions of Americans who are struggling under the weight of college debt are being forced to put off buying homes, marrying, having children, and — this one is important to all of us — starting businesses.

We bailed out the financial industry. It is time for them to do something for us in return.