[Topical EdNews Round Up] Student Loans Edition

Topical EdNews Round Up series, you’ll find the latest education news on important industry topics in one place.

A philanthropist surprised Morehouse College graduates at commencement by announcing he would pay off their student loans. But one person—even a very generous one—can only do so much. As part of a special topical series, we’re taking a deep dive into all things student loans, a subject that is top-of-mind for many students, parents, educators, and administrators. Read more in this week’s special student loans edition of the EdNews Round Up.

What Happens When a Billionaire Swoops In to Solve the Student-Debt Crisis
The Atlantic
A philanthropist surprised Morehouse College graduates at commencement by announcing he would pay off their student loans. But one person—even a very generous one—can only do so much.

A Widely Cited Statistic That Supposedly Proved Student Debt Was a Rich Person Problem Was the Result of a Coding Error
Slate
Back in January, the Urban Institute—a widely respected Washington think tank—published a statistic about student debt that pretty soon caught fire among economics journalists. It turns out that statistic was also wrong.

Fewer Kids Are Choosing College
Bloomberg Opinion
A strong job market is luring high school graduates away from campus. Here’s why that could be a problem.

Does Higher Ed Really Pay Off? New Gates-Funded Commission Aims to Find Out
EdWeek
As the cost of college rises and students go deeper into debt to finance it, families are increasingly asking whether higher education is worth the pricetag. A new commission has begun a project to provide information that could help answer that question.

The latest victims of the student debt crisis — parents
CNBC
Student debt has reached record proportions, with $1.6 trillion in loans outstanding. And that burden is not just shared by students. Increasingly, parents are borrowing to make up the difference.

With Student Debt At Crisis Level, Some Good News For Graduates
Forbes
A bill that was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to eliminate the discrepancy which prevents student loan borrowers struggling to save money from being able to contribute to their employer's matching contribution plans, which would help ease the burden of debt.

Education policy is often a topic of conversation in state and federal legislatures. In this special student loans topical edition, we highlight a few stories regarding student loan policy at the state and national level.

Colorado to give families seed money for college savings
Education Dive
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed into law an initiative that will provide every child born or adopted in the state as of Jan. 1 with $100 toward a college savings plan, available to their families until the child's fifth birthday.

How the national student debt crisis is affecting Georgia students
13WMAZ
Georgia Military College graduate Jada Bembry never thought pursuing her nursing dreams would come with a hefty price tag

CFPB Chief Says Education Department Is Blocking Student Loan Oversight
npr
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Kathy Kraninger says the department is getting in the way of efforts to police the student loan industry. The revelation comes in a letter obtained by NPR.

Student debt is delaying progress for an entire generation
The Inquirer - Philadelphia
Pennsylvanians carry more student loan debt per person than in any other state in the nation; nearly 2 million residents of our state owe on student loans, with an average debt of $36,000. After mortgage loans, college and other postsecondary debt is now the largest source of consumer household borrowing.