The AFT's Fight for Affordability: Resources to Reduce Your Debt

The AFT has long been a champion of student loan borrowers, fighting for debt relief, timely and accurate assistance from loan servicers, and loan forgiveness for teachers, healthcare workers, and other public servants. Thanks in part to the AFT’s advocacy, more than one million public service workers have had over $78 billion in student debt forgiven—including thousands of AFT members. We have encountered fierce opposition from Republicans and from the Trump administration along the way, but we continue to fight for student borrowers and to offer resources and support to help borrowers navigate complex repayment systems and forgiveness options.

At the same time, workers are being squeezed more than ever by rising costs for basic needs like housing and utilities, as well as healthcare, childcare, and college. In December 2025, the AFT asked members to tell us about how debt and financial stress affected their lives, and more than 7,500 responded. Nearly three-quarters reported living paycheck to paycheck, and more than one-third said they couldn’t afford all of their monthly bills. About 35 percent of respondents reported avoiding needed medical care because of the cost, and the financial strain was also taking a toll on members’ health: 51 percent said they were losing sleep because of financial stress, and 81 percent reported increased stress levels. About 9 in 10 respondents said they weren’t able to save enough for retirement. And more than 8 in 10 said healthcare costs were a driver of financial distress.

Based on those responses, the AFT launched the Fight for Affordability campaign to help workers care for their families, access healthcare, and retire with dignity. Building on the success of our student debt relief program, we’re turning our lens on medical debt. No one should have to choose between paying utility bills and getting the care they need—and we know that when we work together and support each other, we can do so much more than we could ever do alone.

If you’re struggling with medical or student loan debt, here are some things you can do right now to take action and restore peace of mind.

Learn how to navigate medical debt: Articles, lessons, and how-to videos will help you figure out how to avoid surprise bills, fight denied insurance claims, negotiate medical bills, and more—all available on the AFT’s award-winning platform, Share My Lesson.

Attend a debt clinic: Sign up for medical debt or student debt clinics, where you can get support to develop a complete picture of your debt situation, talk with experts, and determine next steps to alleviate financial distress.

Try the debt navigator tool: Use the AFT’s new debt navigator tool to find tailored resources to help you take control of your debt.

Explore the AFT’s student debt and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) resources: Stay up to date with the latest developments in student loan repayment plans and PSLF policies, learn how to protect your progress, hear members’ student debt stories, and share your own.

Tell us about your One Big Student Loan Bill: How have your costs gone up, and what does this mean for you and your family? Your stories will help show policymakers that student loan borrowers need help, now.

–The AFT Affordability Team

American Educator, Fall 2026