Private corporations like Sallie Mae -- which own 15 % or $ 162.5 billion dollars of total student debt -- rake in private-island-purchasing profits while students suffer . Ben Cohen , Edward Erikson : Are we serious about solving student debt problems ? Cohen , Erikson : The root of the problem is influence of money in politics . Students suffer but Sallie Mae profits while owning 80 % of student debt , they suffer . Cohen , Edward : Organizations like Sallie Mae lobby Congress ; we need to change that .
Ben Cohen , Edward Erikson : Are we serious about solving student debt problems ? Cohen , Erikson : The root of the problem is influence of money in politics . Students suffer but Sallie Mae profits while owning 80 % of student debt , they suffer . Cohen , Edward : Organizations like Sallie Mae lobby Congress ; we need to change that .