There are many ways to pay for postsecondary education, and one increasingly common option is an income share agreement (ISA). Under an ISA, the learner promises a share of their pre-tax earnings to a funder for a set period after the learner finishes or stops their program. The learner makes payments only when their earnings are high enough, and…

The Biden administration launched a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for federal student loans this year called Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE). The plan cuts borrowers' monthly payments compared with current IDR plans, provides earlier loan forgiveness for smaller debts, and prevents unpaid interest from accumulating. To better…

In 2010, South Korea introduced a new student loan program that was income contingent (ICL). One of the main expected outcomes of the new loan program was to provide credit-constrained students the ability to focus on their college education rather than having to work while enrolled. To this end, this study investigates the effect of ICL on…

This is the technical documentation for the report, "How the College Cost Reduction Act Could Threaten the Teacher Pipeline." The College Cost Reduction Act would overhaul the Higher Education Act, making changes to student borrowing and repayment, borrower protections, college oversight, postsecondary data, and more. The bill includes a…

This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the funding mechanisms for higher education across sixteen countries which builds upon existing work on educational institutions, educational outcomes, and welfare regimes. We focus upon the current financing dilemma within the Irish higher education system, seeking potential solutions within an…

The higher education narrative has been dominated by the student loan crisis as of late. While the magnitude of this problem is often oversold, borrowers do sometimes need help. However, debt forgiveness plans, such as those proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), deliver the biggest benefits to those who need it…

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 brief illustrates that while many borrowers in IDR [income-driven repayment] will repay their loans in full, those who do receive a discharge of remaining debt after 20 or 25 years of responsible payments may face an unaffordable tax liability because these discharged amounts are treated as taxable income under current law.

Policymakers enacted a series of reforms in the mid-2000s that significantly expanded benefits in the federal student loan program for students pursuing graduate degrees. These reforms allow students to borrow up to the full cost of attendance for their degrees and use an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) program that offers loan forgiveness after 20…

In a 2019 poll conducted by the opinion and market research company SSRS for The Pew Charitable Trusts, 7 in 10 Americans said that taking out a student loan is a reasonable choice given the benefits of a college degree, but 89 percent also expressed concern about people's ability to repay those debts. Research has provided insight into the…

Student debt has been a crisis for years, and the pandemic has only exacerbated matters for many borrowers. This is especially true for Black borrowers, who are among those most negatively affected by student loans -- due, in large part, to systemic racism, the inequitable distribution of wealth in this country, a stratified labor market, and…

Purpose: In an effort to boost participation in vocational education and training (VET), in 2009, the Australian Government launched its VET FEE-HELP income-contingent loan programme for VET students. The programme was terminated in 2016 following numerous failed attempts to arrest its escalating costs and improve its performance. In an effort to…

Students increasingly borrow money to attend postsecondary education. Yet, little attention in the literature has been paid to the repayment of student loans, aside from failure indicators like default. This study examines a nationally representative sample of bachelor's degree recipients and the time it takes to reach different repayment…

Chapter 1 is The Effect of Honors College Participation on Student Outcomes. Honors education refers to programs for high achieving students at U.S. post-secondary institutions. These programs provide high achieving students benefits such as the ability to enroll in exclusive courses with small class sizes, to live in special dorms, and to enroll…

Postsecondary education and middle-skills occupational training are viewed as important paths to higher-paying jobs and careers. Lifelong learning pathways geared toward working learners aged 25 and older also seem essential for career advancement and professional growth in the current job market. However, many learners face financial and other…