Before policymakers consider how to solve the student debt problem, they should know today’s typical indebted college student is not the student of the past. Not only are students deeper in debt, but they are likely older, with children, and working full- or part-time as they study for a degree.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost 40 percent of students enrolled for the 2019-2020 academic year are 25 or older, and 57 percent are women.