The cost of higher education continues to rise, forcing many students to seek financial support to pursue their education. Many countries have utilized national systems of student aid to help mitigate the increasing costs. However, these financial aid systems often lead to significant student debt. Guided by restrained choice theory, this study…

Student debt is a major barrier to adult student reengagement and degree completion. Institutional debt forgiveness is one approach to addressing the affordability barrier for returning students. This guidebook features an interview with leaders at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, who share details about the innovative debt-forgiveness…

Since 2008, Sallie Mae has surveyed American families with an undergraduate student about their attitudes toward college and how they paid for it. For the past ten years, the "How America Pays for College" research has provided insight regarding families' belief in the value of a college education, how they are making college more…

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has had concerns about student debt for decades. Her recent solution seeks to redistribute tax revenue from the richest Americans to enable students to refinance their postgraduation indebtedness; this would allow students to benefit from the low interest rates in today's financial markets. The Massachusetts…

Objectives: Recruitment of the needed doctoral level social workers is impeded upon when doctoral graduates experience greater educational debt burden, modest salaries, and limited opportunities for student loan debt repayment. The purpose of this article is to describe a promising opportunity to reduce doctoral level social workers'…

American students graduate from college with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, leading to substantial repayment burdens and potentially inefficient shifts in spending patterns and career choices. A political trend towards austerity coupled with the rising student debt make the effective allocation of federal higher education resources and…

College affordability, like many other postsecondary policy areas, requires coordinated federal and state policies built on coordinated information. While the potential for partnerships between states and the federal government is endless and often includes missed opportunities, this paper reimagines one form of federalism in higher education…

Since the turn of the 21st century, going to college has become increasingly financially difficult in the United States. Tuition prices continued to rise, state funding for higher education declined, and the mean family income declined or stagnated for all but the top 20 percent of families (Goldrick-Rab 2016). In a period where college has risen…

This white paper, an update to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO's) 2014 "Moving the Needle" report (Carlson & Zaback, 2014), examines innovative policies to improve college affordability for students from families in the two lowest income quintiles, using updated data and analyses. The policies…

As of May 2013, total outstanding student loan debt in the United States had reached $1.2 trillion, up from $1 trillion fewer than 18 months before. The growth in debt is due primarily to increases in both the rate of borrowing and the average amount borrowed, especially among graduates of 4-year institutions. In 1989-90, about half (51 percent)…

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine ways in which federal student aid could be improved to better meet the needs of students. Member statements were presented by: (1) Honorable Susan A. Davis, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development; and (2) Honorable Brett Guthrie, Chairman,…

Finding the funds to attend college often means that many students must acquire loan debt through financial aid. This confusing but critically necessary process can influence college planning and enrollment decisions, post-college employment, and other important life choices, such as enrolling in graduate school, buying a home, or getting married.…

This quantitative correlational non-experimental study examines some major implications of student loan debt that Hispanics face upon graduation from institutions of higher learning. It provides both descriptive and correlational statistics to help view how Hispanics differ from non-Hispanics graduate students in their plight to live the American…

Every year, millions of college students borrow money to help bridge the gap between college costs and available income, savings, and grants. Experts agree that, for those who need to borrow to pay for college, federal student loans are the safest and most affordable option. Unfortunately, some colleges choose not to participate in the federal…

The State of Student Aid and Higher Education in Texas (SOSA) annual report from Trellis Research provides information helpful in informing policy and programs for higher education student financial aid. The report serves as a reference for colleges, universities, and policymakers, and provides a comparison of Texas state and federal student aid…