This study aims to analyze the effect of lifelong, notably adult and informal, learning experiences on the business capability and productivity of poor women entrepreneurs in rural Indonesia. The measures of entrepreneurial ability of the research subjects were in terms of their engagement, as microcredit receivers, in adult learning processes…

In this paper, we focus on how Black students matter, from their perspective, in Ohio higher education. To better support Black students, policymakers, college leaders, and organizers must understand what is happening on the ground from students themselves. The words of the essayist and thinker, James Baldwin, are pertinent here: "Not…

Current assessments of college value fall short of centering race in its measurements by ignoring the unique economic conditions students of color face. To support ongoing advocacy for equitable investments in both students of color and institutions serving the largest shares of racially marginalized students, in its latest analysis, The Institute…

Research and statistics have documented the disproportionately negative effects of educational debt on racial minorities. Research has not, however, explored the effects of educational debt on racially marginalized individuals working in the field of higher education itself. This study investigated the negative effects of educational debt on…

The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives of Black women repaying student loan debt. Black Feminist Thought (BFT) was used as the framework. Selected participants had to be at least 18 years, self-identify as a Black woman, owe either U.S. federal and/or private student loans, and not be enrolled in a college degree program. Snowball…

In Fall 2022, the U.S. Education Department unveiled a drastic overhaul of federal student loan policies. The new rules serve as a key vehicle to advance the Biden administration's higher education agenda. However, some of the final regulations look quite different from the policy proposals initially outlined in President Joe Biden's campaign…

More than ever before, young Americans who attend college are being saddled with formidable financial debt, placing an incredible burden on them precisely at the time when they are seeking to launch their careers. As this national conversation over college affordability continues, there is a particular urgency to address the concerns of student…

Today, costs loom large in public discussions about the problems in higher education. That's no wonder. Tuition at four-year private colleges has grown at an average annual rate of 2.3% above inflation over the past 10 years. Four-year public and two-year institutions have seen similar trends, with tuition growing at an annual rate of 3.1% and…

Higher education is a critical tool for social mobility, but today, students and their families face significant challenges. It is against this backdrop that the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) convened the Task Force on Higher Education Financing and Student Outcomes. This group has identified several areas of federal policy ripe for reform that…

"Fault Lines in Borrowing: Academic Outcomes of Students in Default" examines factors influencing and influenced by loan defaults among students at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. The findings demonstrate that loan defaults and their harsh penalties are strongly associated with poorer academic persistence and completion. The paper…

In 2014, ACCT and TICAS partnered to examine student loan default at nine community colleges and explore administrative practices aimed at addressing students' default risks. At each college, we analyzed cohort default rate data and uncovered notable trends and populations at higher risk, identified default-reduction strategies the college was…

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended) authorizes the operation of three federal student loan programs: the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) program, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program, and the Federal Perkins Loan program. While new loans are authorized to be made only through the Direct…

Student loan debt continues to grow at a rapid pace (Scott-Clayton, 2018). The total debt burden for each student graduating from college is over $35,000, and that number is likely to gradually rise as tuition costs and fees at institutions of higher education increase (Friedman, 2018). The problem is not that students accrue debt but rather the…

One-third of student loan debt is delinquent or in default, creating a crisis in the United States economy and the lives of the students (Friedman, 2020 U.S. Department of Education, 2019). A more complex story is that of the African American student with default rates five times more than their majority counterparts (Mishory et al., 2019;…

In an era of escalating higher education costs, students and families need to be aware of all of their options for financing college and how those financing options work. Financing remains one the top factors for choosing a college, especially for students with greater financial need. Those who do not receive the award packages and financial…