Low-income students face systemic barriers to higher education due to their inability to secure private student loans without a co-signer. 

As a first-generation college student, I care deeply about this issue because it's my personal experience and something I went through, even as recently as a few weeks ago. Everyone should have equal access to higher education, no matter where their family comes from, which is not the students' fault. Nine in ten students who have received Pell Grant still face unmet financial need, often falling short by thousands of dollarsNot having equal access to higher education keeps the cycle for the low-income student going, which in turn is an even bigger issue, as it creates the need for low-income housing, lower access to high-paying jobs, the need for government assistance, etc. A 2017-2018 study found that 54.65% of students applying for non-cosigned loans were unable to secure enough funding to attend college. 

It's made hard for these students; the students on their own don't make it hard. Students deserve more options and more opportunities than are even available in our current system. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Education should establish a need-based federal loan program with income-driven repayment to ensure equitable college access. An analysis found that nearly 40% of Americans would be denied a private student loan based on underwriting requirements, with that number rising to over 60% for Pell Grant recipients (61.1%), who are disproportionately low-income.