The Arkansas Public Policy Panel, in partnership with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, is hosting a virtual panel discussion on student loan debt and relief at noon Friday via Zoom and Facebook Live.
The event is free and open to the public. It is part of an ongoing Friday Webinar series on policy and community issues.
About 390,000 Arkansans — 13% of Arkansas’ population — have student debt, according to Education Data Initiative data from 2022. Arkansas borrowers’ average federal student loan debt is around $34,000.
Kwami Abdul-Bey will serve as moderator for the panel. Featured guests include:
* Alpha S. Taylor, an attorney from the National Consumer Law Center.
* Amy Czulada, outreach and advocacy manager for the Student Borrower Protection Center.
* Cecille Doan, a lawyer the Center for Arkansas Legal Services.
* Joshua Cohen, with the Student Loan Law Workshop.
The panel will discuss the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan from President Joe Biden's administration. Other topics on the agenda include the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, Fresh Start, income-driven repayment and bankruptcy discharge.
Information about the panel, along with the Zoom link and the Facebook Live event page, is available online at arpanel.org/events/studentdebtwebinar.