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…

Current formulas for awarding federal student financial aid are based primarily on income and don't fully account for wealth inequality, especially by race. Students from low-income and low-wealth families--who are disproportionately Black and Latine--often have to take out more student loans to attend college. Inevitably, without family wealth to…

Given the skyrocketing costs of higher education, some borrowers -- particularly those with low incomes and those who were scammed by for-profit colleges -- genuinely need assistance. But portraying student loan forgiveness as a working-class issue is highly misleading. In fact, data on student borrowing shows that debt relief benefits few…

The American Enterprise Institute, EducationCounsel, and The Century Foundation undertook a joint process to examine--across ideological lines--the nature of the existing system that finances graduate education, including its benefits and downsides, and to design a framework that should guide the improvement of federal policy regarding graduate…

This study considers socially stratified take-up of income-driven repayment plans among federal student loan borrowers with high-debt payment obligations. Qualitative analyses of borrower complaints from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are used to document borrowers' experiences of administrative burden in the federal loan repayment…

This fact sheet provides information through school year 2021-22 about how Nebraska's two- and four-year public postsecondary institutions have consistently ranked well compared to the national average in the net price of attendance.

Although colleges receive funds from student loans, they have largely escaped accountability for their role when students take on unaffordable student loan debt. One partial exception was a set of regulations called "Gainful Employment" that sought to hold some higher education programs accountable for excessive student loan debt. If a…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Black women in graduate school and their experiences with financing their education and perceptions about student loan debt. Findings from the experiences of six Black women enrolled in graduate programs within the College of Education highlight inequality in institutional funding and student…

Research indicates that student loans have negative implications on students' mental health, including depression. However, research on the mechanism by which the student loan leads to depression has lagged. Drawing from the hopelessness theory of depression, this paper investigates the mediating role of negative financial management behaviors as…

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…

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant) Program awards grants to students who intend to teach, to help pay for their postsecondary education. TEACH Grants are available to eligible students who are enrolled at a school that participates in the TEACH Grant Program, in a program of study that the school…

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…

Focus groups were conducted to explore prospective students' perceptions of tuition fees, maintenance loans and how these impact their decision to engage with higher education. Views on rebranding of the term 'tuition fees' to 'student/graduate contributions/tax' and the introduction of differential fees for different courses were explored.…

Higher education took center stage during the Democratic presidential primaries, and congressional leaders in the party are calling for universal student loan forgiveness and tuition-free public college. The incoming Biden administration will thus face pressure to radically expand subsidies for higher education. Conservatives and moderates tend to…

This dissertation combines three essays on the industrial organization and the industrial organization of education markets. These three essays study how the strategic behavior of firms influences market outcomes and consumer decisions. The first chapter examines the manufacturer's product variety and its relation to the manufacturer's bargaining…