A plan for addressing the student debt crisis in psychological graduate training: Commentary on "graduate debt in psychology: A quantitative analysis" (Doran et al., 2016)

This commentary focuses on the article "Graduate Debt in Psychology: A Quantitative Analysis" by Doran, Kraha, Marks, Ameen, and El-Ghoroury (2016), which was published in a previous issue of Teaching and Education in Professional Psychology. In this response, we discuss the importance of legitimizing the severity of the student debt problem within the field, current work from the APA/APAGS to reduce student debt, and propose a plan for addressing graduate student debt, which includes the 7 following areas: (a) transparency and guidance for undergraduate psychology students, (b) financial informed consent in graduate training, (c) ensuring financial literacy and creating a culture of safety around discussing student debt, (d) postgraduation financial resources, (e) Increasing Funding Opportunities For Clinical Training, (f) federal advocacy for student debt concerns, and (g) APA advocacy for higher wages for entry-level positions. Each area is described with examples of implementation. We conclude our commentary with a discussion of how graduate student debt may affect diversity, inclusivity, and social justice within professional psychology.