Student Debt: Study Up Before You Sign Up

It’s that time of year again. Students nationwide are heading back to college and signing fresh promissory notes for financial aid. I am one of them. Many of us will mourn the loss of the summer sun while we simultaneously anticipate carving pumpkins and the smell of fallen leaves. As our quest for knowledge continuesContinue reading “Student Debt: Study Up Before You Sign Up”

Winning on Student Loan Reform … From CT to MT

Across the country, student loan borrowers and their allies have been organizing to make college more affordable and push for state-level reforms that address the mountain of student debt that’s weighing down students and families. And they’re winning… all the way from Connecticut to Montana. In Connecticut, where the 2015 legislative session ended at midnight onContinue reading “Winning on Student Loan Reform … From CT to MT”

If Germany Can be Tuition Free, Why Not Us?

There was some very exciting news coming out of Germany this week, when the country announced that it is scrapping tuition and fees for its universities. Organizing is widely credited with building the public will and political momentum for free college. In fact, Dorothee Stapelfeldt, of the Hamburg Parliament, told reporters this week, “Tuition feesContinue reading “If Germany Can be Tuition Free, Why Not Us?”

High Student Debt and Low Wages Don’t Mix

Students and graduates throughout the country continue to bear the burden of the high cost of education by taking out student loans. For those in states with high average student debt and lower median incomes, the weight of student loans combined with low incomes can mean a lifetime of debt. The Alliance for a JustContinue reading “High Student Debt and Low Wages Don’t Mix”

Graduates Struggle Under a Mountain of Debt

College is supposed to be the pathway to a better job and a better life, but for students across the country college is also the pathway to a life of debt. Since 2008, states across the country have decreased their investment in higher education, with every state except for Alaska and North Dakota providing lessContinue reading “Graduates Struggle Under a Mountain of Debt”

Corinthian College: Preying on Students’ Dreams

Education is supposed to be a ticket to a better future. Every day, people see ads from for-profit colleges offering programs that promise to lead to a career as a dental assistant, respiratory therapist, auto mechanic, and more. Seeking a better life for themselves and their families, many people enroll in these schools – onlyContinue reading “Corinthian College: Preying on Students’ Dreams”