By the end of 2024, student loan debt in the United States totaled about $1.8 trillion, with the average balance — including private loans — reaching as high as $43K. For some, the debt from pursuing a higher education may last years after graduation. But as Alyssa Jeacoma (@lightweightlyssie) expressed in a now-viral TikTok video, many — including herself — could be in debt for life. The video has accumulated 6.5 million views and more than 800K likes, and among the reactions from users online,