Federal officials announced a final extension of the temporary pause on student loan repayments, sparking renewed calls for debt cancellation to address racial wealth disparities.
Topics: Student debt
150+ colleges have cleared student balances, with more expected
Colleges and universities from coast to coast are using federal pandemic relief funds to clear student debts for unpaid tuition and fees.
HBCUs clear students’ unpaid balances to lighten debt burden
At least 11 HBCUs have announced decisions to clear some or all of their recent graduates’ outstanding tuition and fee balances.
Rethinking transcript holds for students with outstanding balances
U.S. colleges and universities for years have had a policy of withholding transcripts and degrees from students who have outstanding balances, but some institutions are now reconsidering the approach.
Latest relief bill includes $40B for higher ed, sets stage for debt forgiveness
The $1.9 trillion stimulus package President Joe Biden signed into law this week provides $40 billion for higher education, eliminates taxes on student debt forgiveness, and closes a regulatory loophole that may encourage for-profit schools to target student-veterans.
Loan forgiveness: Biden says $50K is too much, signals next steps
President Joe Biden this week reiterated his support for writing off up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for individual borrowers but said he will not pursue the $50,000 threshold being urged by some legislators and advocates.
Medical schools see 18 percent jump in applicants
A record number of people applied to medical school this year, many inspired by the health care providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How will a Biden administration shape higher education?
President-Elect Joe Biden is expected to usher in a new era for higher education when he takes office in January. Some policies could bring rapid change, while others will hinge on Senate control.
How does students’ choice of major, school affect first-year earnings? Georgetown report offers first-time look.
A new report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce sheds light on wide variation in the first-year earnings and loan debt of graduates across 37,000 college majors at 4,400 postsecondary institutions.
Competing demands weigh heavily on student parents during pandemic
Layering college on top of family responsibilities, virtual learning, and the stress of a pandemic, student parents are struggling to stay afloat as they care for themselves and those at home.
Robert F. Smith initiative aims to ease HBCU students’ debt burden
The billionaire—who made headlines last year for clearing the student debt of 400 Morehouse graduates—now hopes to help thousands of students at historically Black colleges and universities bypass high-interest, fixed-payment private loans.
New study calls on colleges to draw back curtain on indirect expenses
A new report reveals wide variation in how institutions of higher learning calculate and communicate indirect expenses—such as off-campus housing, transportation, school supplies, laptops, and food beyond college meal plans—to prospective and current students.