This report looks at the education and work outcomes of a national sample of bachelor's degree recipients four years after they earned their degrees. The findings are based on data from the 2016/20 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/20). This summary report presents selected findings from the full report including enrollment…

For people across the United States, student loan debt is a growing portion of the household balance sheet. More than 40 million Americans have outstanding student loan balances. The burden of student loan debt is causing undue harm to the financial security of individuals and households across the US, with disproportionate impacts on both low-…

This qualitative study explores the perceptions of value added to the lives of graduates who borrowed money to fund their college educations. Through the lens of cognitive dissonance theory, five themes emerged. Overall, the study participants agreed that the ability to take on student loans to fund their education was worth it, but on the other…

Nearly 43 million college student borrowers across the United States owe more than $1.56 trillion in outstanding federal student loans. The number of student borrowers in the country has increased by 1.3 million, or 3.1 percent, over the past five years, while the amount of outstanding student debt in the country has increased by a whopping $…

Differences by race and ethnicity exist in student borrowing trends. Statistics about debt loads, repayment trends, default rates, and forgiveness opportunities routinely appear in research papers, policy briefs, talking points, and news reports. But real progress over time depends on setting up the right conversation and narrative. So far, too…

This report looks at the education and work outcomes of a national sample of bachelor's degree recipients four years after they earned their degrees. The findings are based on data from the 2016/20 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/20). B&B:16/20, which took place in 2020, is the second follow-up in a national study of…

The Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) series of data collections allows researchers to address questions regarding bachelor's degree recipients' undergraduate experiences, including their participation in various financial aid programs, student loan debt and repayment of that debt; entrance into and progress through postbaccalaureate education;…

The Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) series of data collections allows researchers to address questions regarding bachelor's degree recipients' undergraduate experiences, including their participation in various financial aid programs, student loan debt and repayment of that debt; entrance into and progress through postbaccalaureate education;…

High levels of student debt can hamper recent graduates as they start their adult lives and careers, influence their choice of job, location, or the decision to pursue further education (Asher 2009). At the same time, student loans are a vital source of financing for students looking to pursue higher education and, if managed appropriately,…

A regional survey of 1,442 student loan borrowers currently in repayment (nondefaulting, high debt/low income nondefaulters, and prior defaulters) investigated attitudes toward student loan debt. Results revealed those with greater debt perceive it as more burdensome, but debt level has little impact on consumption patterns. (Author/MSE)

Concern about problems that inflexible educational loan payments cause for some people has reopened the idea of income-contingent repayment schedules, but financial aid experts see insurmountable problems in stretching out loans indefinitely, increasing indebtedness by slowing down payments, overall inequities favoring high-income borrowers, and…

Guidelines for a student financial counseling and debt management program from high school through graduate school are provided. A brief history on government aid for postsecondary education and student loan default is included. Publications and other ways that can help students make career decisions are identified. A plan for meeting tuition,…