Scholarslip ~ The Student Debt Crisis

 "Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of debt they can't afford the time to think. Tuition fee increases are a disciplinary technique, and by the time students graduate, they are not only loaded with debt, but have also internalized the disciplinarian culture. This makes them efficient components of the consumer economy." - Noam Chomsky



Determined to speak up about America's crumbling higher education system, three students at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism rallied the voices of an indebted generation. The trio of aspiring journalists—Alex Lancial, Tara Molina and Jake Stein— produced a documentary entitled "Scholarslip". The 26-minute production examines the student debt crisis in the United States and delves into issues local to Arizona. Illustrated through the voices of student debtors as well as university and government policymakers, "Scholarslip" explores five critical issues: increasing costs of tuition; deteriorating quality of higher education; diminishing value of a college degree in the job market; student dependence on state and federal financial assistance; and the effects on personal lives and aspirations. Lancial, Molina and Stein entered and documented the lives of three university students, each experiencing different personal and financial struggles yet sharing a common desire to pursue a college degree. Also featured are testimonies from John Kavanaugh, a representative in the Arizona legislature; Kent Hopkins, the Vice Provost of Enrollment at Arizona State University; and Natalia Abrams, a co-founder of Student Debt Crisis and Occupy Colleges. "Scholarslip" presents a generation under siege, challenging a seemingly out-of-control system that is sending millions into interminable debt.

Alex Lancial: Director of Photography, Graphics Editor, Assistant Editor, Videographer, Assistant Producer
Tara Molina: Producer, Assistant Director, Assistant Editor, Videographer
Jake Stein: Director, Editor, Videographer, Assistant Producer

Contact: jat3productions@gmail.com