May 26, 2022The “shot clock” college students rely on when filling out financial aid formsIt’s the time of the year for two of the most important college-related decisions students and families make: which school should I attend and how should I pay for it? Picking, and paying for, college is shaped by very personal circumstances, and despite everyone’s wishes, there’s usually no right answer…Higher Education4 min readHigher Education4 min read
May 19, 2022The two questions student loan forgiveness discussions keep ignoringPublic interest around student loan forgiveness has steadily climbed over the past several weeks, especially as the Biden administration signals it is closing in on acting before the student loan repayment pause — now on its fifth extension — officially ends. …College4 min readCollege4 min read
May 13, 2022Making buying college easier is more important than making it cheaperThese days, it feels like we have been conditioned to believe that the cost problem college students face is one solely rooted in affordability. Make it cheaper, or at the least, keep prices in check and many of higher ed’s problems get solved at once. …College4 min readCollege4 min read
Mar 22, 2022Student loans: Is the federal government a predatory lender?Last month, the former student loan giant Navient settled a lawsuit with the attorneys general of several states. …College4 min readCollege4 min read
Sep 30, 2021College rankings are awful: what we need are crowd-sourced reviewsFor most people, early Fall brings happy thoughts of a new school year, cooler temperatures and the return of an infamous pumpkin-spiced beverage. For those of us in higher education, this season also brings the pain and anguish that can only come with the annual release of college rankings. Few…Education3 min readEducation3 min read
Jun 24, 2021How social media pressure is watering down higher education analysisScroll through any education outlet’s news feed and you’ll likely read about a survey asking students about enrolling in college or paying for college or staying in college or even dropping out of college. I’d also be willing to bet the survey results it describes — tucked into a longform…College4 min readCollege4 min read
May 4, 2021What about all the student loan forgiveness we already have?President Biden is on the verge of deciding to forgive anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 for millions of borrowers holding federal student loan debt. Whether it can actually happen will hinge on a U.S. Education Department memo expected to hit the president’s desk any day now, but that feels irrelevant…Education3 min readEducation3 min read
Apr 15, 2021Should employers pay for requiring employees to have bachelor’s degrees?Note: this piece was co-authored with Amy Glynn. In February of this year, the US education system hit an unflattering milestone when Credential Engine announced that the United States had nearly approached one million different types of education credentials. Of course, not all credentials are created equal. Most everyone’s familiar…College4 min readCollege4 min read
Apr 8, 2021Debt Without Degree: A crisis within a crisisAsk any economist and they’ll tell you a college education is one of the best investments someone can make. Indeed, most have heard the stat that over an entire working career, a bachelor’s degree holder will earn roughly $1 million more than a high school graduate. That statistic, of course…College4 min readCollege4 min read
Apr 1, 2021Debt Without Degree: Are educated parents handing down debt sentences to their kids?Too many students drop out of college every year. Disturbingly, many do so after assuming the burden of student loan debt. In fact, nearly 40 percent of student loan borrowers have debt but no degree, based on data from the U.S. Department of Education. There is no metric or standard…College5 min readCollege5 min read
