Outstanding federal student loan debt exceeds $1.6 trillion and is owed by about 45 million borrowers. Since taking office, the Biden Administration has taken various actions to address student loan debt. These actions have ranged in scope (both in terms of borrower populations affected and associated modification costs), rationales, and the…

In 2006, the federal government effectively uncapped student borrowing for graduate programs with the introduction of the Graduate PLUS loan program. Access to additional federal loans increased graduate students' borrowing and shifted the composition of their loans from private to federal debt. However, the increase in borrowing limits did not…

This study explores and examines the differences in financial resources and access to college between transgender and cisgender students. Using a quantitative criticalist lens, the authors analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS:09) and found that while trans and cisgender students attend college at…

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…

Paying for college is often a family affair, with both parents and students contributing. We study the effects of college on family finances using administrative data on the universe of federal aid applicants in California linked to credit records. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of how both students and their parents use debt with…

In the last three years there have been big changes in rent levels and the supply of student accommodation, driven and shaped by global and national economic turbulence. High inflation, high energy costs, high building costs and high interest rates have combined to produce unprecedented rises in rent. Because of this rapid change, Unipol have run…

During the 118th Congress, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up and ordered reported the College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA; H.R. 6951). Most of the bill's provisions would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended), though it is not a comprehensive reauthorization of the HEA. Nevertheless, the bill…

The SNAAP survey includes questions for alumni to rate both how important the skills they learned in school have been for their careers (perceived importance), and how well their alma maters helped them develop these same skills (perceived preparedness). Survey results and previous SNAAP Data Briefs [see ED612788] suggest a gap between alumni's…

Despite substantial investments in financial aid programs, the available aid often falls short of covering the total cost of attendance (Hanson, 2023). Today, college expenses represent 30% of the annual median family income, pushing many students to rely on loans to finance their education (US Census Bureau, 2023). Among student loan borrowers,…

The 'Higher Education Policy Statement and Reform Consultation' was launched in February 2022 with responses required by May 2022. This online consultation included 16 closed questions, which have been analysed quantitatively, and 29 open text boxes, which have been analysed qualitatively and the frequency of themes summarised quantitatively. The…

Five years after our 2019 analysis of student borrowing rates across the University of California (UC) system, TICAS partnered with the University of California Student Association (UCSA) again to evaluate the state of affordability and student debt for undergraduates at the UC, and their implications for student success. While our analysis finds…

TICAS' 2025 Federal Policy Agenda advises members of the 119th Congress on how to strengthen the nation's higher education system to ensure a college degree is both accessible and affordable. Our higher education system faces extensive challenges, but a postsecondary credential remains the most reliable path to economic mobility, and the economy…

This dissertation consists of three chapters that examine topics in the economics of education. Chapter 1 tests the impact of holding student loan debt on borrowers' post-schooling decisions, with a focus on how it changes the way they evaluate risks when choosing between jobs. Chapter 2 analyzes the impact of an expansion of public-school choice…

This qualitative inquiry explores students' (N=20) perceptions of Kalamazoo Promise (KPromise), how perceptions influence student motivation, and by what means students are covering remaining costs. Responses indicated deep appreciation of KPromise, built through community efforts. Perceptions of KPromise have developed into strong motivation to…

As students pursue undergraduate degrees, many are challenged with paying for college. Costs include direct charges for tuition, fees, books, room and board, and meal plans, as well as indirect costs such as transportation, utilities, insurance, cell phone, internet, and more. Many students borrow loans to cover these costs, but their…