The US student loan problem and how we got here / Eric Best -- A radical solution is called for / Marshall Steinbaum -- Liberal arts degrees are worth the cost / Matt Wilson -- The student loan industry betrays young Americans / Daniel Rivero -- Forgiving debt is not the ideal solution / Miranda Marquit -- Employers could help pay off student loans to attract top talent / Arlene S. Hirsch -- Should we just make college free? / Amelia Josephson -- Government subsidized college is not a good idea / Jarrett Skorup -- The lending business is stacked against student borrowers / Ellen Brown -- We should return to the idea of education as a public good / Thomas Adam -- College is worth the debt / Jana Kasperkevic -- The effects of student borrowing on the larger economy are limited / Sandra Black, Amy Filipek, Jason Furman, Laura Giulianoand Ayushi Narayan -- Free college would reawaken the concept of education as a public good / Tressie McMillan Cottom.
Summary:
"As of 2019, Americans owed over $1.56 trillion in student loan debt, and 69 percent of college students who graduated in 2018 had to take out student loans. Student debt has increased significantly over the past twenty years, but what factors have brought this about? Are students to blame for making irresponsible financial decisions, or is the price of education rising disproportionately to average income? How do variables like class and race impact student debt? What impact do these debts have on individuals and the economy? This volume examines the nature of America's student debt crisis and explores possible solutions."
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.