The fact that there is a need for student loan forgiveness really paints a picture of just how complicated education funding has become.

So how did we get to this point, and why is the already huge cost of attending college continuing to increase?

To answer this, I interviewed my dad, Ken Clarke, who spent more than 35 years working as a financial aid professional. When he retired, he was the dean of financial aid for all Maricopa County community colleges in Arizona, and he had helped thousands of students navigate the financial aid process throughout his career.

In this episode, my dad talks more about the ins and outs of student loans, including:

• The history of student loans.
• Where student loans came from.
• What happened in history that made student loans so expensive and have such high interest rates.

This is actually the second half of the conversation I had with my dad about student loans. If you missed the first part, head over to listen to Season 7, Episode 3: "Real Talk: You Should Support Student Loan Forgiveness," where we tackle four of the most common arguments against student loan forgiveness.

6 Characteristics of a Positive Community

Anti-racism is a vital part of EVERY community. It's not something we should silo away from the other communities we are a part of, whether that's your neighborhood, church, PTA, craft circle, fitness group, etc. We should just focus on building healthy communities — where we strive for fairness, communicate when there's friction, embrace freedom of expression and celebrate traditions together.

And First Name Basis is here to help you do it! Visit firstnamebasis.org/positivecommunity to get your FREE printable of the 6 characteristics of a positive community, adapted for the podcast from Dr. Nicole Celestine's work.

Ally Elementary and Ally Elementary Jr.

We are opening the doors to both Ally Elementary and Ally Elementary Jr. on Sept. 20!

Parents have been asking for a practical, interactive way to implement the anti-racist strategies that I lay out in the First Name Basis Podcast, so I created Ally Elementary and Ally Elementary Jr.

Ally Elementary is geared toward third-eighth graders, while Ally Elementary Jr. is for the smaller allies in our lives who are in preschool-second grade.

During these programs, parents will work together with their children to create a culture of anti-racism in their home. We will use hands-on activities to teach our children about everything from the untold story of how race was created to how they can disrupt racism in their everyday lives to how they can learn more about their individual identity and culture. I am so excited to watch the families in our community make a meaningful transformation and improve their communities through anti-racist action.

Click here to join the waitlist for Ally Elementary (for third-eighth graders)

Click here to join the waitlist for Ally Elementary Jr. (for preschool-second graders)

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 7, Episode 3: "Real Talk: You Should Support Student Loan Forgiveness" with Ken Clarke

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 2, Episode 5: "A Conversation With My Dad About Black History Month" with Ken Clarke

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 3, Episode 14: "The Untold Story of Fried Chicken" with Ken Clarke

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 4, Episode 10: "The Memory That I Can't Shake: The Why Behind Ally Elementary"

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 5, Episode 16: "Age Appropriate Anti-Racism"

"Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Student Loan Relief for Borrowers Who Need It Most," The White House

Who is My Student Loan Servicer?

Song credit: "Sleeper" by Steve Adams" and "Dive Down" by VYEN