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Nov. 20, 2024
Taking a Balanced Approach: Six Proposals to Fairly and Effectively Reform Federal Graduate Financing Policy from Across the Ideological Spectrum
This collection of six policy proposals from EducationCounsel and organizations across the ideological spectrum builds on our 2023 joint report that identified a bipartisan framework for improving the graduate financing system in the United States. Each of these six proposals reflects a different perspective on how to best address the identified areas in the 2023 report. While these proposals are not co-authored and no organization is endorsing another's approach, they are meant to illustrate the diversity of potential solutions. Together, these proposals demonstrate the range of strategies that can be employed to improve graduate financing, all rooted in the same foundational pillars.
Each proposal attends to five critical pillars: (1) setting reasonable loan limits, (2) providing targeted grant aid to students and institutions, (3) ensuring sufficient value and return on investment for students and taxpayers, (4) enhancing the regulatory structure and consumer protections for private lending, and (5) improving data disclosure and transparency. Together, these pillars constitute a comprehensive approach to addressing the burden on students, particularly the disproportionate burden facing students of color, with a focus on ensuring access, affordability, and fairness for all students and the growing cost of the graduate loan programs for taxpayers.
These materials have been prepared for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.