Older student-loan borrowers tell lawmakers: Don’t let us die with this debt

To many, student debt is a young people’s issue. But last week, dozens of borrowers age 50 and over traveled to Washington to remind policymakers that it’s increasingly becoming a problem for older Americans like them.

There was Alicia Barnes, 50, who said her challenges with student debt prevented her from getting a more affordable mortgage from the Department of Veterans Affairs. There was Renita Walker, nearly 60, who took on loans to attend school while she was taking care of two young children following the death of her husband. There was Gail Gardner, 77, who told members of her church back in Stone Mountain, Ga., who also struggle with student debt that she would advocate for them, too.