A stolen ring, a tax bill and a doctorate who reshapes the U.S. debt crisis

A woman’s decision to sell engagement rings to pay taxes prompted her husband to pursue her PhD and focus on studying the U.S. student debt crisis. Currently, the total debt of more than 45 million borrowers has exceeded US$1.7 trillion. This personal financial pressure reflects wider economic pressure, triggers research on repayment models, interest rates and long-term socio-economic impacts, and affects policy discussions on loan relief and financial education.