The U.S. has roughly $1.57 trillion in student debt. Some Democrats want to create student loan forgiveness plans that make that, or at least a large portion of it, disappear. Canceling student debt has gained steam with 2020 candidates vying for the votes of young college-educated Americans. On April 23, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. was the first 2020 presidential candidate to unveil a plan to erase large portions of student debt. But what would it actually take to eliminate a big chunk of government-held student debt, and is it really a good idea?