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Affordability
Borrowing During a Time of Crisis

Examining Institutional Debt During the Great Recession and COVID-19

Aug. 31, 2022
Although a great deal of attention is paid to student debt, colleges and universities have increased their institutional debt substantially over the past several decades. Institutions primarily borrow these funds for capital investments on campus. This may include building new labs and educational facilities, sports arenas, or dormitories. The array of projects reflects the variation…
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Affordability
State Grant Aid and Pell Grants
July 1, 2022
If federal increases in Pell grant funding are to increase educational opportunities and attainment, states must ensure these increases supplement, rather than replace, state grant aid, states this report from the Urban Institute.
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Affordability
Pell Access and Completion Series Part I: Community College
June 28, 2022
As policymakers mark the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant program, this report (the first in a three-part series on Pell access) from the Institute for College Access & Success contends that they must make key investments so the program can fulfill its promise of making college truly affordable and accessible for all students, regardless…
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Affordability
Parent PLUS Borrowers: The Hidden Casualties of the Student Debt Crisis
May 31, 2022
Parent PLUS loans, created by Congress to give middle-class parents flexibility in how they pay for college, are increasingly used by low-income families. Among Black families who use Parent PLUS, the share with no expected family contribution now exceeds 40 percent, and the share among Latino families is also high, above 25 percent.
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Affordability
Protecting Borrowers and Advancing Equity

Systemic Solutions to Improve Federal Student Loan Servicing & Repayment

May 16, 2022
As the country waits to see what the Biden administration will do regarding student loan forgiveness, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators offers its own ideas in this report.The report outlines 30-plus policy suggestions. Among them: strengthen and simplify income-driven repayment programs so they protect borrowers and allow them to repay in accessible,…
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Affordability
How Black Women Experience Student Debt
April 16, 2022
Forty-five million Americans collectively owe $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. Women hold nearly two-thirds of that debt, and because of the gender pay gap, are more likely than men to have trouble paying off their debt, according to a report from The Education Trust. Black women in particular hold more student debt than any…
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Affordability
The Power of Certainty

Experimental Evidence on the Effective Design of Free Tuition Programs

March 24, 2022
Proposed "free college" policies vary widely in design. This report from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the effects of two free-tuition models on the schooling decisions of low-income students.
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Affordability
College Confidence

What America Knows About Paying for College

Feb. 18, 2022
This report explores high school families’ understanding of college financing. Specifically, the study documents what college-bound students and parents know about financial aid, the FAFSA, scholarships, and student loans. The report also explores perceptions of college costs, exposes common misconceptions, and gauges how financially prepared high school families are for college.
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Affordability
Income-Driven Repayment of Student Loans

Logic, History, and the Need for Reform

Feb. 9, 2022
Much of the policy debate emerging from concerns over student debt focuses on the structure and operation of Income-Driven Repayment plans. This report from the Urban Institute suggests recommendations for change.
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Affordability
Which Colleges Are Worth the Cost?

Institution-Level Return on Investment for Students and Taxpayers

Feb. 7, 2022
College education is widely acknowledged to be a good investment, but some postsecondary programs and institutions in the United States fail to pay off. This report from the Bipartisan Policy Center outlines an improved methodology for estimating the ROI from college enrollment, with the goal of pointing the way toward better regulation of higher education…
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