Higher Education
The states and federal government provide substantial resources for higher education, to support institutions, promote research, and improve access and affordability for students and families. The mechanisms include spending programs, tax provisions, and direct-to-consumer lending. The research and analysis collected here explore how the U.S. funds postsecondary education, how that support varies across levels of government, how students and families interact with lending programs, and the challenges associated with student debt.
Our Work
All
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Who Struggles Most to Repay Student Loans?
In January 2018, The Pew Charitable Trusts launched the project on student borrower success, a four-year initiative to promote successful repayment of student debt, especially among those borrowers at greatest risk for delinquency and default. This piece is the second in a three-part series reviewing an October 2016 series of expert discussions, hosted by Pew, on the state of student loans in... Read More
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What Role Does Postsecondary Education Play in Veterans' Economic Opportunity?
The Pew Charitable Trusts held a briefing on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2017, to explore how postsecondary education affects the short-term opportunity and long-term economic mobility of military veterans and their families. The discussion highlighted a range of perspectives on the GI Bill; veterans’ access to education benefits; and their student debt. Read More
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Which Policy Solutions Can Help At-Risk Student Borrowers?
In January 2018, The Pew Charitable Trusts launched the project on student borrower success, a four-year initiative to promote successful repayment of student debt, especially among those borrowers at greatest risk for delinquency and default. This piece is the third in a three-part series reviewing an October 2016 series of expert discussions, hosted by Pew, on the state of student loans in... Read More
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Student Loan Interest Deduction Should Factor Into Debates on Student Debt, Tax Code
The federal government and nearly every state with an income tax offer the student loan interest deduction. This provision allows taxpayers to subtract interest paid on student debt from their taxable income to help families reduce the cost of borrowing for higher education. The maximum federal deduction, $2,500, has not changed since 2001, but between 2007 and 2016, student loan balances... Read More
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Federal Support for Higher Education Comes From Spending Programs and the Tax Code
About a year ago, federal policymakers permanently extended the American opportunity tax credit (AOTC), the largest federal tax provision available to help offset the cost of higher education for students and their families. Read More
News
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Footing the Bill for Higher Education
Federal and state policymakers are often working on similar policy challenges from different vantage points. And when they do not coordinate their decision-making, what may start as a promising response to a major public need can end up being difficult to implement, unsustainable, and in some cases counterproductive. Read More
Research & Analysis
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Who Struggles Most to Repay Student Loans?
In January 2018, The Pew Charitable Trusts launched the project on student borrower success, a four-year initiative to promote successful repayment of student debt, especially among those borrowers at greatest risk for delinquency and default. This piece is the second in a three-part series reviewing an October 2016 series of expert discussions, hosted by Pew, on the state of student loans in... Read More
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What Role Does Postsecondary Education Play in Veterans' Economic Opportunity?
The Pew Charitable Trusts held a briefing on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2017, to explore how postsecondary education affects the short-term opportunity and long-term economic mobility of military veterans and their families. The discussion highlighted a range of perspectives on the GI Bill; veterans’ access to education benefits; and their student debt. Read More
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Which Policy Solutions Can Help At-Risk Student Borrowers?
In January 2018, The Pew Charitable Trusts launched the project on student borrower success, a four-year initiative to promote successful repayment of student debt, especially among those borrowers at greatest risk for delinquency and default. This piece is the third in a three-part series reviewing an October 2016 series of expert discussions, hosted by Pew, on the state of student loans in... Read More
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Student Loan Interest Deduction Should Factor Into Debates on Student Debt, Tax Code
The federal government and nearly every state with an income tax offer the student loan interest deduction. This provision allows taxpayers to subtract interest paid on student debt from their taxable income to help families reduce the cost of borrowing for higher education. The maximum federal deduction, $2,500, has not changed since 2001, but between 2007 and 2016, student loan balances... Read More
-
Federal Support for Higher Education Comes From Spending Programs and the Tax Code
About a year ago, federal policymakers permanently extended the American opportunity tax credit (AOTC), the largest federal tax provision available to help offset the cost of higher education for students and their families. Read More