Andrew Jenks: What does $659 Million in NYU Student Debt Look Like?
February 16, 2011MTV’s Andrew Jenks talks about the rally of NYU students, he organized to protest their growing, staggering debt.
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Dylan,
In response to MTV's Jenks working with NYU students, I applaud anything that draws attention to this serious matter. For so long much of the media has overlooked the 1 out 5 defaulting on their student loans. Soon we will be releasing our film, Default: The Student Loan Documentary which was filmed over the last three years while traveling the country and interviewing those with student debt and activists pushing for student loan reform. We have over 30 hours of film and our documentary will be airing on TV very soon.
We have also been organizing with students and student groups to draw attention to this serious matter and in fact, last week our film was shown at an anti-austerity demonstration in Paris. As you may know, March is the "Month of Action" for those in support of higher education. Over the next two weeks we have free screenings scheduled at UC- Berkeley, Cal State- Monterey Bay, and Arizona State University. Also, very soon we will also be announcing screenings in conjunction with student groups in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Madison, New York, Riverside, and Chicago.
This issue is very personal for me and my story was aired in December in the CNBC documentary, "Price of Admission: America's College Debt Crisis". Personally, I feel as though I have a responsibility to speak out, continue to raise awareness about the student debt crisis and the devastating effects so many young people today. I also agree with student loan activists, Alan Collinge and Robert Applebaum that standard consumer protections need to be restored if we are to dig ourselves out of this crisis and make this a more fair process.
Please continue to cover this, but also I hope you will push even further. Please ask the necessary questions that many are afraid to- While so many are struggling to make such high monthly payments, why are certain student loan executives profiting so much? Why are certain student lenders continuing to lobby against the best interest of students? Why do certain student lenders own the collection companies as well and does this represent a conflict of interest? What is John Boehner's connection to these lenders? This is necessary and we need this now more than ever.
Thanks again!
Kyle McCarthy
Dir of Community Outreach
Krotala Films, DefaultMovie.com
Kyle@Krotala.com
Facebook.com/DefaultMovie
Twitter.com/DefaultMovie
Jc2RIl Good point. I hadn’t thought about it quite that way.