Veil of Loans: An examination of student loans behind John Rawls' Veil of Ignorance

Abstract

By applying the Veil of Ignorance as a heuristic device to evaluate the United States financial aid system, I have presented solutions that can begin to address the issues caused by student loan inequality faced by African American degree seekers. The cost of higher education is rising annually. Many students must use student loans to afford the rising cost of attending post-secondary institutions. Students’ reliance on student loans to finance their college education has contributed to a surge in borrowing of student loans. Given, the influx of student loans, it is important to understand the impact student loans may be having on certain demographics. Many studies have found that African Americans have been disproportionately negatively affected by a national increase in student loan borrowing. To better understand and solve the issue of student loan inequality facing African Americans, I have enlisted ideals from John Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance.