The Real College Debt Crisis

Is it still worth it for low-income students to attend college, given the debt incurred? This book provides a new framework for evaluating the financial aid system in America, positing that aid must not only allow access to higher education, but also help students succeed in college and facilitate their financial health post-college. Higher education plays a critical role in the economy and society of the United States, creating a ladder of economic opportunity for American children, especially for those in poverty. Unfortunately, higher education today increasingly reinforces patterns of relative privilege, particularly as students without the benefit of affluent parents rely more and more on student loans to finance college access. This book presents penetrating new information about the fiscal realities of the current debt-based college loan system and raises tough questions about the extent to which student loans can be a viable way to facilitate equitable access to higher education. The book opens with relevant parts of the life stories of two students—one who grew up poor and had to take on high amounts of student debt, and another whose family could offer financial help at critical times. These real-life examples provide invaluable insight into the student debt problem and help make the complex data more understandable. A wide range of readers—from scholars of poverty, social policy, and educational equality to policymakers to practitioners in the fields of student financial aid and financial planning—will find the information in this text invaluable.

Why fears about a looming student loan crisis are unfounded—and how they obscure what's really wrong with student lending College tuition and student debt levels have been rising at an alarming pace for at least two decades. These trends, coupled with an economy weakened by a major recession, have raised serious questions about whether we are headed for a major crisis, with borrowers defaulting on their loans in unprecedented numbers and taxpayers being forced to foot the bill. Game of Loans draws on new evidence to explain why such fears are misplaced—and how the popular myth of a looming crisis has obscured the real problems facing student lending in America. Bringing needed clarity to an issue that concerns all of us, Beth Akers and Matthew Chingos cut through the sensationalism and misleading rhetoric to make the compelling case that college remains a good investment for most students. They show how, in fact, typical borrowers face affordable debt burdens, and argue that the truly serious cases of financial hardship portrayed in the media are less common than the popular narrative would have us believe. But there are more troubling problems with student loans that don't receive the same attention. They include high rates of avoidable defaults by students who take on loans but don’t finish college—the riskiest segment of borrowers—and a dysfunctional market where competition among colleges drives tuition costs up instead of down. Persuasive and compelling, Game of Loans moves beyond the emotionally charged and politicized talk surrounding student debt, and offers a set of sensible policy proposals that can solve the real problems in student lending.

As of 2019, Americans owed over 1.56 trillion dollars in student loan debt, and 69 percent of college students who graduated in 2018 had to take out student loans. Student debt has increased significantly over the past twenty years, but what factors have brought this about? Are students to blame for making irresponsible financial decisions, or is the price of education rising disproportionately to average income? How do variables like class and race impact student debt? What impact do these debts have on individuals and the economy? This volume examines the nature of America's student debt crisis and explores possible solutions.

AN NPR AND NEW YORK POST BEST BOOK OF 2021 From acclaimed Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Mitchell, the “devastating account” (The Wall Street Journal) of student debt in America. In 1981, a new executive at Sallie Mae took home the company’s financial documents to review. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” he later told the company’s CEO. “This place is a gold mine.” Over the next four decades, the student loan industry that Sallie Mae and Congress created blew up into a crisis that would submerge a generation of Americans into $1.5 trillion in student debt. In The Debt Trap, Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Mitchell tells the “vivid and compelling” (Chicago Tribune) untold story of the scandals, scams, predatory actors, and government malpractice that have created the behemoth that one of its original architects called a “monster.” As he charts the “jaw-dropping” (Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times bestselling author of Who Gets in and Why) seventy-year history of student debt in America, Mitchell never loses sight of the countless student victims ensnared by an exploitative system that depends on their debt. Mitchell also draws alarming parallels to the housing crisis in the late 2000s, showing the catastrophic consequences student debt has had on families and the nation’s future. Mitchell’s character-driven narrative is “necessary reading” (The New York Times) for anyone wanting to understand the central economic issue of our day.

Getting into college is one giant hurdle to clear, and paying for it is quite another. This book breaks down the expenses associated with higher education, the various payment options available for students, including student loans, need-based scholarships, and merit-based scholarships, and what other avenues may exist for families to ensure that costs associated with tuition, room, and board stay reasonable. Concerns about "paying off" student loans, interest rates, and timelines are also addressed in this informative collection.

This volume provides a comprehensive and evenhanded overview of the escalating college affordability crisis in the United States. It explains how higher education became so expensive and explores the implications of high college loan debt for students and American society. The 21st Century Turning Point series is a one-stop resource for understanding the people and events changing America today. Each volume provides readers with a clear, authoritative, and unbiased understanding of a single issue or event that is driving national debate about our country's leaders, institutions, values, and priorities. This particular volume is devoted to the issue of the rising cost of higher education in the United States. The expense of pursuing a college degree has become so high for so many students, in fact, that the country is experiencing what many educators, economists, parents, and students describe as a college affordability crisis. This work provides an accessible, accurate account of the factors driving this trend, including dramatic reductions in higher education spending by states; for-profit colleges; predatory, unscrupulous, and lightly regulated student loan service companies; and spiraling spending by colleges and universities competing to attract students.

Valuable perspectives on how to tackle student loan debt from a man who earned two degrees and paid off all college debt with the help of ONE thing! So, you’re thinking about getting a degree. But do you know what lies ahead? Author Charles A. Chadwick Jr. knows… and he knows it all too well. Charles, like many of us, was raised on the universal truth that “success hinges on education”. But, like most maxims, it has been twisted every which way to serve several narratives. Yes, being college-educated can lead you to success. But is it the ONLY kind of education that can get you there? Delivered through the witty, educational sermons of The Pastor of the Student Loan Disaster, “College Debt or Skill Set: A Critical Choice for Success” is chock-full of practical advice that has served Charles — and many others like him — well. A former college student who experienced the challenge of paying for his college education without any external financial assistance, Charles was able to cut down his college costs by thousands of dollars, which amounted to 40% of his college expenditures. This allowed him to successfully graduate and pursue a successful career paved by his passions. And it is this exact goal that Charles wants you to achieve as well. With the Pastor’s help, “College Debt or Skill Set” highlights valuable insights on how you can: Cut costs for college and limit student debt: Filled with both anecdotal and research-based insights and advice, this book helps you understand what your finances entail so you can limit your financial risks and hit the ground running right after you get your hands on your diploma. Make time to learn a trade: Having multiple ways to earn more never hurt anyone. In fact, it helps tremendously! This guide showcases the importance of having a good skill set you can leverage so you can maximize your earning capacity all while getting your degree. Explore other career avenues that don’t require a university diploma: Education isn’t limited to the four corners of a school classroom. In fact, the world holds many opportunities for learning that you can monetize and build a career on. In this guide, you will learn how to do just that. And so much more! Just like his other bestselling books, “Chadwick’s Cultivated Circumstances: Experience Is Sometimes Priceless” and “Chadwick’s College Checklist: 2 Steps W/Tips On How To Cut College Costs Down”, “College Debt or Skill Set” builds on practical advice on how to navigate the complex terrain of college costs and the role it plays in your future success. With the Pastor’s guidance, you can learn how to overcome student loans, become more financially strong, and secure your future! There are millions of Americans who carry massive student loan debt and racking up more bills! If a student or person can transition into the trade industry they can learn a lifetime worth of earning skills! Ready to take on this challenge? Scroll up, Click on “Buy Now with 1-Click”, and Grab a Copy Today! For more information, please check out our other books, blogs, podcast, and reviews to help guide you. Website: www.chadwicksexperiences.com

In Educating Public Interest Professionals and the Student Loan Debt Crisis, Robert Leslie Fisher examines the student loan debt crisis and its effects on America’s citizens and economies. Exploring the shortage of professionals in fields such as education, medicine, and law, Fisher analyzes the causes and effects of the student loan debt crisis in America and argues for higher wages, student loan debt forgiveness, and an updated financial model to pay for training for public interest professionals. Supported by economic research and a sociological background, Fisher proposes a path forward that will ease the student loan debt crisis and revitalize the economy.

This book analyzes reliable evidence to tell the true story of student debt in America. One of the nation’s foremost experts on college finance, Sandy Baum exposes how misleading the widely accepted narrative on student debt is. Baum combines data, research, and analysis to show how the current discourse obscures serious problems, risks misdirecting taxpayer dollars, and could deprive too many Americans of the educational opportunities they deserve. This book and its policy recommendations provide the basis for a new and more constructive national agenda to make paying for college more manageable.

Capturing the voices of Americans living with student debt in the United States, this collection critiques the neoliberal interest-driven, debt-based system of U.S. higher education and offers alternatives to neoliberal capitalism and the corporatized university. Grounded in an understanding of the historical and political economic context, this book offers auto-ethnographic experiences of living in debt, and analyzes alternatives to the current system. Chapter authors address real questions such as, Do collegians overestimate the economic value of going to college? and How does the monetary system that student loans are part of operate? Pinpointing how developments in the political economy are accountable for students’ university experiences, this book provides an authoritative contribution to research in the fields of educational foundations and higher education policy and finance.