Many of my conservative friends disagree with me on this, but student loan forgiveness was a step in the right direction, in part because of the positive net impact it would have on diminishing the existing racial wealth gap, which is beneficial to all Americans. Additionally, Congress needs to address the absurd rising cost of college tuition. Education isn’t merely a way to get out of poverty or enhance an individual’s ability to compete, it’s also in our nation's national security interests to have a well-educated populace--everyone wins. A more educated populace is likely to lead to crime reduction (good for tax players/businesses), a reduction in social welfare programs, a healthier citizenry, and an overall boost to the economy. All of these things are beneficial for everyone, and it seems to me that we need to drastically change the way we think about long-term education in our country.