Degrees, Not Debt
Student debt is no longer just a burden—it’s become a barrier to the American Dream.
Minnesota ranks fifth in the nation for student debt, with the average student debt load more than $35,000 for state college students.
That’s why we created our Degrees, Not Debt program. Your union wants to help relieve your debt burden and make college more affordable and accessible to all. This is particularly important for our public schools. If teaching becomes an unaffordable profession, it will become even more difficult to attract and retain high-quality educators.
We support you with our training options and by connecting you to resources you can trust.
Loan forgiveness options
Drowning in student loan debt? There are several state and federal programs available that can help reduce what you owe.
Degrees, Not Debt trainings
Online
The DND team will be hosting webinars during the 2025-26 academic year for all Education Minnesota members. These webinars will cover the basics of student loans, information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness and the latest on the student loan environment as it grows more challenging under Trump Administration restrictions.
Webinar schedule for 2025-26
All webinars will take place via zoom and run from 4:00 to 5:30 pm CST. Click on the registration link below to sign up. A link to the webinar will be sent the day before the presentation.
| Date | Registration link |
| Sept. 30, 2025 | https://forms.gle/NVYGyZ7dSx32REBL8 |
| Jan. 27, 2026 | https://forms.gle/5ikhS3aD5qxvHrLF8 |
| May 12, 2026 | https://forms.gle/yRTenokQKxwAyKqV8 |
Our training is also available on MEA Online! Our most recent webinar can be found by logging
into MEA Online and searching “Degrees Not Debt webinar.” The most recent webinar was recorded in May 2025.
Host a training in your local
Email us if you’re interested in hosting a Degrees, Not Debt training in your local.
Online loan forgiveness support from Summer
For too many Education Minnesota members, the weight of student debt puts our dreams of home ownership, parenthood, retirement and financial security out of reach. Accessing the loan forgiveness options that are available to many members isn’t as easy as filling out an application and the requirements of Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness can be as frustrating as the debt itself.
Access to Summer—a trusted online platform that can help you simplify and navigate your student loan situation—is free for Education Minnesota and AFT members. Summer offers all members a free online student loan management platform that you can access on your phone or home computer, making the process of navigating your student loans easy and secure. Using this platform, Education Minnesota members get a personalized to-do list, access to Summer’s borrower success team to get your loans on track for forgiveness, and other services, including:
- Help enrolling in income-driven repayment plans and managing annual income recertifications.
- Help completing the PSLF Employment Certification Form and managing the PSLF certification and application process.
- Help accessing federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness and other loan forgiveness programs and understanding how to maximize loan repayment and forgiveness options.
Email DND@edmn.org for a personalized link to the Summer platform.
