Student loan debt isn’t just a financial issue. it’s a mental health issue, a workforce issue, and a generational equity issue.
According to data from EdTrust, more than 43 million Americans they carry student loan debt, but the burden is not evenly shared. Black women, in particular, have the highest average student loan debt of any demographic groupthey often borrow more to continue their education while earning less once they graduate. Years after completing college, black women still owe far more than their peers, not because of poor financial choices, but because systemic inequalities in wages, wealth and access to repayment relief.
This debt does not live only on paper. Research consistently links student loan debt with higher levels of stress, anxiety and depressionas well as late life milestones such as owning a home, starting a family and saving for retirement. For borrowers already struggling to make ends meet, the return of aggressive collection practices can deepen feelings of panic, shame, and exhaustion.
As the Trump administration continues collection efforts, including wage garnishment, many borrowers face not only shrinking wages but also the emotional toll of a system that offers little margin for error. For Black women and other traditionally underserved borrowersthis time is especially heavy as they continue to carry debt while supporting families, communities and workplaces.
If that’s you, learn this: you don’t fail. You’re browsing a broken system and you’re not alone.
After the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, student loan borrowers received a temporary reprieve from monthly payments. Now, as wage garnishment and other collection efforts mount, many are wondering how to absorb this renewed financial pressure and fit payments back into already tight budgets.
I spent years in the nonprofit sector before moving into financial strategy work. I’ve seen how financial stress can take over your life, and I’m here to tell you: you’re not failing.
With paychecks already in progress, borrowers in default can feel the impact on their paychecks immediately, often without warning. If your student loans are in default, accepting a paycheck is a real possibility, but it doesn’t have to define your future. Clarity, awareness and strategy it can help you move forward, even if you’re already playing catch-up.
- Start by resisting panic and get clear. Take a deep breath and then pick up the phone. Call your loan servicer to understand exactly where your loans stand and what options are available. In many cases, enrolling in a repayment or rehabilitation program can interrupt or prevent the payment of wages. Doing nothing is not a strategy, but taking action can change your course.
- Then stabilize your spending. Student loans don’t go away, and the days of managing your finances as if payments have stopped for good are over. Review your budget with fresh eyes and identify adjustments that allow you to account for this renewed monthly obligation. Resetting your student loan payment allows you to purposefully younot the government, to decide how to prioritize your money.
- If your current cash flow can’t absorb another bill, it may be time to plan ways to increase your income or create short-term flexibility. This may mean taking a temporary side job, negotiating hours, leveraging employer benefits or restructuring other debts. The goal is not perfection but creating breathing space as you adjust.
And even with planning, it’s important to say this clearly: Student loan debt is a national financial crisis. It is not a personal failure and it is not a burden to carry alone. These are not normal conditions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t survive them. Let this be your reminder: this debt does not define you.
Student loans may shape this season of your life, but they don’t measure your worth, intelligence, or effort. You did what society said would lead to opportunity and stability, and now you’re dealing with the consequences of a system that didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
Be clear about this truth: Student loan debt is a policy failure, not a personal one. Borrowers, especially black women, shouldered higher costs, earned lower wages and received fewer protections while simply being asked to manage better. The pressure you feel is not a reflection of your choices, but of a system that has normalized inequality and called it a responsibility.
So take the steps you can. Make the call. Build the plan. Adjust the budget. Don’t internalize a burden that was never meant to be yours. Progress may seem slow, but every action you take is moving you in the right direction.
This moment is heavy, but it is not permanent. You are not left behind. You are not broken. Navigate an unfair system with resilience and determination.
And one day, this chapter won’t be read as the moment you gave up, but as the moment you refused to give up.
Shavon Roman, CEO, Heal Plan Invest – Guest Contributor
