For workers employed in the public and nonprofit sectors, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program offers the potential for full forgiveness of federal student loans for those with 10 years of full-time work experience. A year-long waiver issued by the Department of Education in 2021 to address administrative problems in program access…

This dissertation examines the post-college career choices of no-loan program alumni at Harvard College. Using a conceptual framework informed by elements of social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) and Perna's (2006) model of college choice, it identifies "what" careers alumni chose after college and "how" and…

We explore how much borrowers value student debt relief, in the setting of the federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) program, and further document whether information and eligibility for this program affect teacher employment decisions. The program cancels between $5,000 and $17,500 in debt for teachers who remain employed in a high-need school…

This study examines the effects of financial advice on college-saving decisions using data sets from the 2009 and 2012 U.S. National Financial Capability Study. After controlling for self-selection bias through propensity score matching, the findings show that receiving financial advice is associated positively with the likelihood of saving for…

With the costs of higher education increasing, the need to search for alternative ways to fund these expenses has also increased. While grants, scholarships, personal savings, and financial assistance from parents, may be effective for some, this is not the case for all students as some are inclined to use student loans to fund their higher…

For students with a significant amount of student loan debt, the excitement of graduating from college can be overshadowed by feelings of anxiety and fear. Debt perception is about more than the cost of a college degree, the amount of financial aid received, or the value families place on education. In this article, the author tells a story about…

Obtaining a college degree is positively correlated with gains in socioeconomic mobility. However, college is expensive. Given the importance of college in increasing social mobility, lawmakers have proposed eliminating student debt. Joe Biden, for example, has incorporated eliminating student debt into his presidential campaign promise. While…

Utilizing the concept of resilience, this paper examines the attainment of bachelor's degrees or higher by Black Americans in 2012 and 2022. In 2012, 3.668 million Black Americans aged 18 and over had at least a bachelor's degree, with women accounting for 58.5% and men accounting for 41.5 percent. In 2022, that figure increased to 5.547 million…

There are many ways to pay for postsecondary education, and one increasingly common option is an income share agreement (ISA). Under an ISA, the learner promises a share of their pre-tax earnings to a funder for a set period after the learner finishes or stops their program. The learner makes payments only when their earnings are high enough, and…

The new student loan repayment plan formally proposed by the Biden administration would let borrowers make lower payments and have remaining loans forgiven sooner than under current plans. Under the proposed income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, most undergraduate borrowers with typical debt levels--and nearly 90 percent of those with certificates…

The Biden administration launched a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for federal student loans this year called Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE). The plan cuts borrowers' monthly payments compared with current IDR plans, provides earlier loan forgiveness for smaller debts, and prevents unpaid interest from accumulating. To better…

This dissertation, which is highly relevant to education, examines Black educators' life experiences with student loan debt. It provides insight into the impact of student debt and how these experiences shape their interactions with Black students. Using their narratives, this study serves as a self-reflective journey, bringing the reader closer…

This study used the 2015 National Financial Capability Study to investigate the relationships among financial capability, financial education, and student loan debt outcomes. Specifically, this study examines four student loan outcomes: delinquency, stress, preparation, and satisfaction among borrowers who obtained loans for themselves. Three…

Florida implemented Statute 1009.45 as of July 1, 2017, to require colleges and universities to provide annual student loan debt notifications to students to inform them about their student loan obligations. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine how college students in the State of Florida make financial decisions about their…

The "Student FAFSA Completion Report" (2023) is submitted pursuant to Education Article § 7-212, Annotated Code of Maryland, which requires the Maryland Longitudinal Data System (MLDS) Center to annually produce, on or before December 15th of each year, beginning in 2023 and ending in 2028, on the submission and completion of the Free…