Do Something

Support higher education for the good of all

The general election is on Tuesday, November 8th. Make sure you are registered to vote and cast your ballot for candidates supporting higher education. Here is everything you need to know about how to vote

If you are not familiar with the candidates, check out The Philadelphia Citizen’s guide to who’s on the ballot to know where they stand.

Find out who your state and federal representatives are and reach out to let them know you support student loan forgiveness, reforms in the public service forgiveness program, and affordable college for everyone. 

Connect WITH OUR SOCIAL ACTION TEAM



Get Involved

Check out our toolkit for better citizenship

One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia—whether you want to contact your City Councilmember to voice your concerns about access to higher education, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

Vote and strengthen democracy

Stand up for marginalized communities

Create a cleaner, greener Philadelphia

Help our local youth and schools succeed

Support local businesses

Video

President Biden announces the student loan forgiveness plan

LISTEN

To this story in CitizenCast

Welcome to the enhanced audio edition of Elaine Maimon’s story


And go here for more audio articles from CitizenCast

Vote For Higher Ed

Higher education as a public good is on the ballot this November. A longtime college president highlights the stark choices

Leadership matters. Political leaders have a choice: Appeal to the best in people or to the worst. It’s human for individuals to host an ongoing debate between our better angels on one shoulder and the devils of resentment and self-promotion on the other. But once in a while, the political landscape amplifies the dispute.

The 2022 election marks a distinctive moment in U.S. history. In Pennsylvania, the choices could not be more stark. The contest is not typically partisan in any way I can remember from a lifetime of being a political nerd. (In elementary school I watched the Democratic and Republican national conventions when other kids were watching “Kukla, Fran, and Ollie.”)

The confrontation this time is between democracy and autocracy; evidence and lies; reality and conspiracy theories; the peaceful transfer of power and armed violence.

Many understand the overall context of higher education as a public good and recognize that the United States is the only developed nation that forces individual citizens to incur monstrous debt for college attendance.

In his September 1 speech, President Biden made a clear distinction between “MAGA Republicans” and other members of the Republican party. I’ve long believed that, in a phrase originated in 2016 by my husband, MAGA should be MAHA, for “Make America Hate Again.” Hate people who are recent immigrants, even though your own family came through the golden door just a few generations ago. Hate those who don’t look like you. Hate and resent anyone who seems to have an advantage over you, especially an educational advantage.

The MAHA’s have always been with us, but until now they have dwelled on the periphery of American politics. Now, unfortunately, they are empowered by Republican enablers, who, for self-serving, partisan reasons, do not want to risk alienating the Trump base — base as it is. For short-term gain, they are willing to sacrifice the enduring health of American democracy.

Student loan forgiveness is a public good

I’ve been reading responses to the ideas in my August 29 article, “President Biden’s Higher Ed Transformation.”

Many understand the overall context of higher education as a public good and recognize that the United States is the only developed nation that forces individual citizens to incur monstrous debt for college attendance. Income-based payments and loan forgiveness are a matter of course in affluent countries around the world.

And yet in our “land of opportunity,” President Biden’s Executive Order on student loan forgiveness, while supported by a majority of Americans, has elicited some angry cries of, Not fair! and What about me?

Some Democrats, ignoring their better angels, have joined the chant, but the cries have been led mostly by Republicans, who want to take legal action and are seeking those who might have standing to challenge the Executive Order.

Members of the Student Loan Serving Alliance (SLSA), a trade association that processes student loans, have been suggested as possible plaintiffs. I have to confess that even with all the things to be outraged about these days, this idea pushed my buttons.

In a just society, who would give priority to money gained from the processing of student loans over the future prospects of debt-burdened students, whose freedom from prior debt might enable a resumption of study toward a degree? To his credit, Scott Buchanan, the president of the SLSA, has rejected seeking court action. Let’s hope that the companies and state agencies that comprise SLSA’s membership do likewise.

Can Republicans be serious about wanting to eliminate public service loan forgiveness?

Republicans in the House have introduced legislation, entitled “Responsible Education Assistance through Loan Reforms (REAL),”which would eliminate loan forgiveness for public servants. Let me point out that there are some good things in this bill. I am particularly in favor of legislated limits on student indebtedness, which would require college financial aid officers to do what they should be doing all along — serving as counselors, helping students to incur the minimum debt necessary for their financial needs.

But, but, but, “The bill would also eliminate … the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which provides debt relief to borrowers working in public service jobs, such as teaching, nursing or military service, after making 120 payments. As of June 2022, $8.1 billion in student debt has been canceled for 145,000 borrowers through PSLF.”

In what universe does that make sense? As I have written before, it’s in the nation’s interest to increase support of public servants. The U.S. is now experiencing a teacher shortage of dangerous proportions. The “teacher pay penalty” has reached a new high. We must improve financial benefits for those who choose teaching and other public service careers.

Now is the time to elect leaders who think long-term and inspire commitment to the public good. In Pennsylvania, that means voting for individuals who will increase state funding for public higher education, including more generous grants for low-income students. Right now, Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in funding higher education and in student loan debt.

I’m an educator, so these educational examples are in the forefront of my mind. But my overall concern is combating a creeping mean-spiritedness, the utterly selfish practice of “me-first and to hell with the rest!” Politicians in general are drawn naturally to self-serving four-year goals. But the choices are clearer than usual this time between “MAHA” and the public good.

What you can do:

  • Register and vote. Up and down the ticket, select candidates who have proven a long-term commitment to the public good.
  • Voice your support President Biden’s Executive Order on student loan forgiveness.
  • Support reforms in loan forgiveness for public servants.
  • Choose a generous spirit over short-term “me-first-ism.”

Elaine Maimon, Ph.D., is the author of Leading Academic Change: Vision, Strategy, Transformation. Her co-authored book, Writing In The Arts and Sciences, has been designated as a landmark text. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum. Follow @epmaimon on Twitter.

MORE HIGHER ED SOLUTIONS FROM ELAINE MAIMON

Taylor University Commencement May 18, 2019 (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen). Original public domain image from Flickr

The Philadelphia Citizen will only publish thoughtful, civil comments. If your post is offensive, not only will we not publish it, we'll laugh at you while hitting delete.

Be a Citizen Editor

Suggest a Story

Advertising Terms

We do not accept political ads, issue advocacy ads, ads containing expletives, ads featuring photos of children without documented right of use, ads paid for by PACs, and other content deemed to be partisan or misaligned with our mission. The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and all affiliate content will be nonpartisan in nature. Advertisements are approved fully at The Citizen's discretion. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility. For questions or clarification on these conditions, please contact Director of Sales & Philanthropy Kristin Long at [email protected] or call (609)-602-0145.