The Student Debt Crisis: America’s Moral Urgency By Jamal Watson (Broadleaf Books, 2025)
Watson’s approach is both journalistic and deeply human. Rather than presenting dry statistics, he weaves together personal narratives that illuminate the real-world consequences of educational debt. The book opens with Shauntee Russell, a 38-year old single mother and nurse from Chicago who received $127,000 in loan forgiveness through the SAVE program. Her relief at no longer making a $632 monthly payment underscores how student debt affects basic life decisions—from grocery shopping to saving for the future. These stories, drawn from Watson’s extensive reporting experience, provide emotional weight to what could otherwise be an abstract policy discussion.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its historical contextualization. Watson, who is also a professor and associate dean of graduate studies at Trinity Washington University, traces the evolution of higher education financing from the transformative GI Bill through the Higher Education Act of 1965, showing how well-intentioned policies gradually shifted the burden from public investment to individual debt. His chapter on Senator Claiborne Pell, architect of the Pell Grant, is particularly illuminating. Pell believed education was “the great equalizer,” yet Watson demonstrates how the grant’s purchasing power has steadily eroded— covering 79 percent of college costs in 1975-76 but only 29 percent by 2017-18.
Watson’s treatment of the crisis as a civil rights issue is both compelling and necessary. He documents how Black students graduate with significantly more debt than their white peers, with Black women facing the heaviest burden. The book’s exploration of the connection between student debt and reparations adds crucial context to contemporary policy debates. By highlighting the work of activists like Reverend Al Sharpton and student leaders like Tylik McMillan, Watson shows how younger generations are reframing educational equity as fundamental to racial justice.
The author’s analysis of the political landscape is particularly relevant given recent Supreme Court decisions. His detailed examination of Biden v. Nebraska reveals the complex legal and political forces that have stymied debt relief efforts. Watson doesn’t shy away from the bitter disappointment felt by millions of borrowers when the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s forgiveness program, nor does he sugarcoat the challenges facing future relief efforts.
One of the book’s most valuable contributions is its spotlight on “hidden” aspects of the crisis. Watson examines food and housing insecurity among college students, noting that 39 percent of students at four-year institutions experienced food insecurity in recent surveys. His discussion of textbook costs, couch-surfing students, and the phenomenon of “stranded credits”— where students cannot access transcripts due to unpaid balances—reveals how financial pressures extend far beyond tuition.
The chapter on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and the Black Church provides important historical context often missing from policy discussions. Watson shows how the fight for educational access has deep roots in the civil rights movement and how Black churches have long provided crucial financial support for college-bound students. This historical grounding helps readers understand why student debt relief is viewed as a continuation of long-standing struggles for educational equity.
Watson’s examination of private sector responses and organizational efforts by groups like the United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and NAACP provides a comprehensive view of the ecosystem addressing these challenges. His analysis of state-level initiatives, from Tennessee Promise to New York’s Excelsior Scholarship, offers practical examples of policy innovation that could inform future efforts.
The book faces its greatest test in the aftermath of the 2024 election, which Watson addresses in a powerful afterword. With a Trump administration and Republican Congress likely to pursue policies hostile to student debt relief, Watson argues that the movement must evolve beyond federal advocacy toward state-level action and coalition building. His call for protecting existing programs while simultaneously advancing new solutions reflects the complex political reality facing advocates.
Some readers may wish for more detailed policy prescriptions or economic modeling of proposed solutions. Watson focuses more on moral arguments and lived experiences than on technical analysis of various debt relief mechanisms. However, this approach serves the book’s larger purpose of reframing the debate around justice and equity rather than purely economic considerations.
Watson’s writing is accessible and engaging, avoiding academic jargon while maintaining analytical rigor. His background as both a journalist and academic serves him well, allowing him to synthesize complex policy debates with compelling storytelling. The book benefits from his deep knowledge of higher education and his extensive network of sources across the field.
The Student Debt Crisis arrives at a crucial moment when the future of educational financing remains uncertain. Watson makes a compelling case that this is not merely an economic problem but a moral crisis that demands urgent attention. His work will be essential reading for policymakers, educators, students, and anyone concerned with educational equity and social justice.
As debates over student debt continue to evolve, Watson’s book provides both historical context and moral clarity that will inform discussions for years to come. In documenting both the human cost of the current system and the long history of struggle for educational access, Watson has produced a work that is both deeply researched and profoundly moving—a fitting examination of what he rightly calls America’s moral urgency.
Student Debt Crisis: America's Moral Urgency can be ordered here.
