Student debt cancellation policies in Chile (1980-2022): A historical overview of their aims, mechanisms and functions

Abstract

Over the last decade, student debt cancellation policies have become relevant in public debates, yet there is little historical evidence on how and why student debt can be forgiven. This article analyses six student debt cancellation policies implemented in Chile between 1980 and 2022. Based on a documentary analysis of reforms to the student loan system, the article points out that four of the five student loan systems introduced in Chile have been subject to some cancellation policy. The article shows that the main objective of the forgiveness policies was to reduce the delinquency of the credit systems and improve adherence to payment. The results contrast with existing expectations that forgiveness policies will have transformative effects and suggest that forgiveness policies may have a functional use for the market agenda in education, a function that is underexplored in the literature.