-
Students, Fill Out Your FAFSA!
Tweet Share on Facebook January 25, 2012 Comment (4)With college and graduate school applications submitted, applicants across the country are now trying to figure out how to cover the cost of their education.
Decisions about financing education are difficult because they need to be based on a realistic assessment of a student's individual circumstances. Some students may figure out a cost effective path, such as attending community college and then transferring to their dream school. But too often, guidance on education financing is either nonexistent or so ineffective that students and their families are left drowning in debt without a line to grab.
-
Understand Why Federal Budgets Matter to Students
Tweet Share on Facebook January 18, 2012 Comment (2)Keeping track of the federal budget process is difficult in the best of times, and the creation of the fiscal year 2012 budget was even more convoluted than usual. We've attempted to keep you up to date on some of the twists and turns concerning educational debt, including the impact on Pell Grants of the federal budget compromise negotiated in April 2011 and the elimination of the "in-school interest subsidy" on subsidized Stafford loans for graduate and professional students that accompanied the lifting of the debt ceiling in August.
The reason we've been so assiduous in tracking these budget matters? Because budgets matter.
-
Student Debt Crisis Isn't Just About Economy
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2012 Comment (8)With the Iowa caucus under our belt, the 2012 election year is in full swing and one issue being raised across the country is student debt. So far, it seems that a number of candidates propose to address this issue through their plans to "improve the economy." They don't seem to understand the educational debt crisis very well.
We certainly recognize the dire need for more jobs, but we think the issue of educational debt demands a more direct solution. We're taking this opportunity to raise some issues that warrant candidates' attention and to clarify the magnitude of what students and graduates are facing.
-
Rapidly Rising Student Debt Harms Low-Income Students
Tweet Share on Facebook January 4, 2012 Comment (5)It's a truism that a college education is the key to better jobs and a brighter economic future for low-income individuals. So what is the effect of the explosion in student debt on low-income students? The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's recent brief, "Student Debt and Default in the 12th District," is a fascinating look at student loan borrowing and default that focuses on students from low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. It provides some clarity, and it's not a pretty picture.
Keep in mind that this report is limited geographically (the 12th District includes nine Western states—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington—as well as Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands). But since states in the West tend to have lower average debt levels, we would argue the situation it describes is the same or worse across the country.
[Learn about how to pay for college.]
advertisement
Knowledge Centers
Follow U.S. News Education
Like Us On Facebook
advertisement
