Grad-School Debt Is Said to Rise Rapidly and Deserve More Policy Attention

By Vimal Patel. Conversations about increases in student debt often focus on undergraduate borrowers and the rising price of a bachelor’s degree. But the largest changes in student borrowing are taking place in graduate education, a new report says. The report, being released on Tuesday by the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan public-policy institution, also questions federal policies on lending to graduate students. It suggests the government consider placing limits on the amount that students pursuing graduate degrees can borrow, as it does for undergraduates.
The report, "The Graduate Student Debt Review," also asks whether income-based repayment programs that include loan-forgiveness benefits might be part of what is driving increases in graduate-student borrowing. Read more...