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The Student Loan Crisis: Policy, Burden, and Borrower Well-Being

  • Fenaba R. Addo, Dominique J. Baker, Daniel A. Collier
  • October 29 2025
  • W128-2025

Wednesday, October 29, 2025
2–3pm Eastern | 1–2pm Central | 12–1pm Mountain | 11am–12pm Pacific

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Fenaba Addo

Dominique J. Baker

Daniel A. Collier

Fenaba R. Addo, Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dominique J. Baker, Associate Professor of Education Policy, University of Delaware
Daniel A. Collier, Assistant Professor of Higher and Adult Education, University of Memphis

The total amount owed in federal student loans has more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2020, up from $387 billion to around $1.8 trillion. This soaring student loan debt and the increasing cost of higher education in the United States necessitates critical conversations and research into its societal impacts. This webinar will examine complexities of the crisis, including its disproportionate effect on Black borrowers and how this exacerbates broader U.S. inequality. Guests will explore how education policy shapes access and success for minoritized students, with a specific focus on the administrative burden involved in applying for financial aid. We will also explore the experiences of borrowers in Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) programs, covering key themes such as the demographic characteristics of participants, their financial circumstances compared to traditional repayment plans, and measures of subjective well-being.

Categories

Economic Support, Education & Training, Financial Security, Health, Inequality & Mobility, Inequality & Mobility General, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Postsecondary Education

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