Photo: Amanda J. Cain

In the mid-1990s, thousands of minors received life sentences without parole and entered prison at the same time that their peers were going to college or starting their careers. However, prisons often reserve education for those who will soon return to society. Those perceived as the least likely to leave had the fewest opportunities.

Today, more courts and lawmakers are rethinking extreme sentencing policies for young people. As a result, thousands of individuals who thought they’d die behind bars are getting out without an education.

Illustration: Peter Gamlen

When President Joe Biden announced his plan to provide student debt relief for 43 million borrowers nearly two years ago, there was a piece to his program that attracted less attention: a new student loan repayment program that would cut monthly payments in half for millions.

The repayment program, called SAVE, was meant to become a permanent fixture of the federal student loan system, offering a more affordable path to repayment, particularly for lower-income borrowers. But now, lawsuits by Republican-led states are seeking to upend it.

When Monica Tijerina re-enrolled in Texas A&M University-San Antonio last fall, she quickly realized child care for her young daughter, London, would be one of the hardest parts of her college journey. 

She's not alone. Student-parents make up nearly a quarter of undergraduate students and nearly a third of graduate students. To ease the competing demands of classes, work, and family responsibilities, Texas A&M-San Antonio operates a free on-campus childcare program for eligible student-parents. A new 25,000-square-foot facility is set to open in the summer of 2026.