Each year, NASSGAP completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report provides data regarding state-funded expenditures for student financial aid and illustrates the extent of efforts made by the states to assist postsecondary students. Information in this report is based on academic year…

The issue of student debt is now at the forefront of public discourse and political debate. There is no question that debt, not just student debt, impacts the economy and hinders the economic wellbeing of many Americans. At the same time, the factors that lead to that debt should not be ignored. Not all student debt is the same, and not all…

Cuts to education may be regarded as counter-productive at times of upheaval, but it has been reported Ministers want to make savings on higher education in England at the next spending review. Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has therefore published some new modelling commissioned from London Economics on various possible changes to…

The College Cost Reduction Act would overhaul the Higher Education Act, making changes to student borrowing and repayment, borrower protections, college oversight, postsecondary data, and more. The bill includes a new proposed risk-sharing model that would require colleges to repay the federal government for a calculated proportion of their…

President Biden's recent announcement regarding student debt relief has brought the issue to center stage across Pennsylvania and the U.S. Access to quality higher education is so important to Pennsylvania's individuals and families, yet the high cost of college in the state has both limited who has access to a good education and, for those…

Queer people continue to feel the effects of queer oppression in higher education and beyond, including unique financial challenges. The price of being queer is troubling in a world ordered around capitalism and heteronormative privilege. The purpose of this paper is to examine the financial landscape for queer students and call for a robust…

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid and substantial increase in unemployment and to uncertainty about future job prospects. Despite this increased uncertainty, parents' expectations that their children will pursue postsecondary studies remained high during the lockdown--91.7% of children whose parents were surveyed in May or June 2020 were…

In addition to career training and preparation, institutions of higher education can foster opportunities for financial education and promote access to resources for financial decision-making. Educational experiences can play a role in preparing and informing students about their financial decisions and the impact of financial choices they face as…

As student loans, the cost of college tuition, and even value of higher education remain at the forefront of public discussion, one thing remains true: Affordability is central to adult learners' academic success, and money is one of the primary reasons why adult learners stop out before they graduate. This report takes a deep dive into the…

This is the executive summary for the study "How They Pay: The Voices of Adult Learners on College Affordability, and How Institutions are Responding." The study is based on data from a national survey of 996 adult learners, in-depth interviews with 47 adults from 14 institutions, and interviews with financial aid personnel from six of…

A collaboration between The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), this policy brief examines the costs of attending California Community Colleges (CCCs) for low-income students and the roles that financial aid resources, work hours, and student loan borrowing currently…

We examine how the racial wealth gap interacts with financial aid in American higher education to generate a disparate impact on college access and outcomes. Retirement savings and home equity are excluded from the formula used to estimate the amount a family can afford to pay. All else equal, omitting those assets mechanically increases the…

Background: Nearly two decades have passed since the last successful reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Since then, student loan debt and the accumulation patterns based on race have become a pressing issue to address in U.S. society. Purpose: Student debt is one of the key issues on the federal higher education policy agenda. The…

We update Collier et al. (2021) by using the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) 2019 dataset to explore characteristics of enrollees in Income-Driven Repayment (IDR). SCF 2019 is more likely to include borrowers engaged in REPAYE. Findings support an ongoing need to encourage greater IDR participation for lowest-income borrowers and reinforced…

When a college closes, it can derail the education of many students, leaving them with loans but no degree. Those who cannot complete their education may be eligible to have their federal student loans forgiven through a "closed school discharge" from the Department of Education (Education), but this process has changed in recent years.…