Student loan debt is now a $1.3-trillion problem burdening 44 million borrowers. Experts are talking about the effects of student debt on the economy, but they aren’t talking about its disproportionate effects on women.
AAUW takes a close look at that oversight in the new research report Deeper in Debt: Women and Student Loans. Women’s success in postsecondary education is shrinking the gender pay gap and opening up opportunities, but at what price? Women not only take on more student debt than men do, but women also pay back their loans more slowly because of the gender pay gap.

While higher education is seen as a path to financial stability, taking on student debt is a gamble, and it’s a bigger risk for some women: Low-income students, students with dependent children, and students who drop out of college are all at higher risk of defaulting on student loans. AAUW advocates for grants, programs, and resources that can keep college accessible for those who have the most to gain.

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