As of 2020, about 42.9 million Americans owed a collective $1.7 trillion in outstanding student loans — a crisis that touches families across the nation, particularly in communities of color. Some lawmakers have advocated for forgiving student debt to help those struggling to make ends meet. But critics argue there’s a cost to forgiveness, and taxpayers will pay for it. This episode of CBSN Originals’ “”Speaking Frankly”” series examines the rising costs of a college education and the growing demands to cancel student debt.

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