Default: The Student Loan Documentary

Default: the Student Loan Documentary (Broadcast Version)




Default: the Student Loan Documentary chronicles the stories of borrowers from different backgrounds affected by the student lending industry and their struggles to change the system. No matter when their loans were taken, many borrowers find themselves in a paralyzing predicament of repaying two, three or multiple times the original amount borrowed, with no bankruptcy protection, no cap on fees and penalties and no recourse to the law. The consequences are dire, with stories of borrowers in financial and emotional ruin.

This version was released on PBS late October 2011 and has since gone on to screen at over 142 public broadcasting stations, screened at over 200 college campuses and events, featured in over 200 media outlets including The Nation, Forbes, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

We are happy to release the documentary for free online, for anyone who wants to learn more about student debt and for groups who want to organize for change.