How To Keep Student Loans From Threatening Your American Dream

If you're a teacher, legislator, or parent who's encouraging students to go to college, but are concerned about today's high cost of education and how they will pay for college, look no further. The answer and methods to a debt-free college lies within this book. However, you must do your homework, take responsibility for your financial life, your actions and your future. The easy but long-term painful way is to take out loans or - even worse - charge tuition bills to a credit card. After reading this book, you'll know how to: - provide a financial education to children while they're living with you or in your class; - ensure children use student loans (if they're necessary) for the right things; - find alternatives to help students pursue a debt-free college education; - avoid predatory lending practices that endanger the future for individuals and their families. Student loans will not guarantee the American dream; in fact, they may guarantee the loss of it. Will your college graduate, former student, or constituent be left wondering, "If I'm so smart, gifted, and educated, then why am I so broke?" Whether you're a parent, educator, legislator, or college-bound student, you'll learn how college students can navigate the challenges of paying for an education with the lessons, insights, and alarming data in Charley's America. www.charleygreen.com

An in-depth look at "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" of student loans as well as positive ways to a achieve a college education without borrowing yourself into "Educated Poverty."

"The central motivation for this book is imagining an alternative to the student loan program that better aligns with America's belief that effort and ability should be the deciding factors in determining economic differences. It positions postsecondary education properly as the central lever by which American children can secure for themselves promising futures, and it supports analysis of the extent to which current policy interventions facilitate these mechanisms, or not"--

Is it still worth it for low-income students to attend college, given the debt incurred? This book provides a new framework for evaluating the financial aid system in America, positing that aid must not only allow access to higher education, but also help students succeed in college and facilitate their financial health post-college. Higher education plays a critical role in the economy and society of the United States, creating a ladder of economic opportunity for American children, especially for those in poverty. Unfortunately, higher education today increasingly reinforces patterns of relative privilege, particularly as students without the benefit of affluent parents rely more and more on student loans to finance college access. This book presents penetrating new information about the fiscal realities of the current debt-based college loan system and raises tough questions about the extent to which student loans can be a viable way to facilitate equitable access to higher education. The book opens with relevant parts of the life stories of two students—one who grew up poor and had to take on high amounts of student debt, and another whose family could offer financial help at critical times. These real-life examples provide invaluable insight into the student debt problem and help make the complex data more understandable. A wide range of readers—from scholars of poverty, social policy, and educational equality to policymakers to practitioners in the fields of student financial aid and financial planning—will find the information in this text invaluable.

Offering answers to essential questions about student debt and many connected issues, this book examines student debt in the United States at every stage of the process-from the banks that issue the loans to the colleges and universities that collect the payments. Student lending in the United States is one of the most controversial issues in contemporary American discourse. Are these loans the only option for Americans who want to attend college and university in order to attain the best careers and have a productive, enjoyable life? Should the predatory lending practices of for-profit colleges and universities be stopped? How can limits be imposed on student lending amounts without preventing students from getting the education they need to succeed? The book explains why so many students are borrowing large amounts of money to attend college; considers whether the cost of higher education is simply too high, and if there should be a cap on how much money students can borrow; explains what is contributing to the rising rate of borrowers defaulting on their loans; and predicts whether the so-called student loan bubble is in danger of popping. The Data and Documents chapter analyzes data gathered from discussions about student debt. This information enables readers to better understand who is borrowing student loans, what the money from the student loans is going toward, what individuals have the authority to decide who qualifies for these loans, and what is being done to curb wasteful student spending.

With unprecedented student debt keeping an entire generation from realizing the "American Dream," this book sounds a warning about how that debt may undermine both higher education—and our democracy. American higher education boasts one of the most impressive legacies in the world, but the price of admission for many is now endless debt. As this book shows, increasing educational indebtedness undermines the real value of higher education in our democracy. To help readers understand this dilemma, the book examines how student debt became commonplace and what the long-term effects of such an ongoing reality might be. Sold My Soul for a Student Loan examines this vitally important issue from an unprecedented diversity of perspectives, focusing on the fact that student debt is hindering the ability of millions of people to enter the job market, the housing market, the consumer economy, and the political process. Among other topics, the book covers the history of consumer debt in the United States, the history of federal policy toward higher education, and political action in response to the issue of student debt. Perhaps most importantly, it explores the new relationship debtor-citizens have to the government as a result of debt, and how that impacts democracy for a new generation.

In Educating Public Interest Professionals and the Student Loan Debt Crisis, Robert Leslie Fisher examines the student loan debt crisis and its effects on America’s citizens and economies. Exploring the shortage of professionals in fields such as education, medicine, and law, Fisher analyzes the causes and effects of the student loan debt crisis in America and argues for higher wages, student loan debt forgiveness, and an updated financial model to pay for training for public interest professionals. Supported by economic research and a sociological background, Fisher proposes a path forward that will ease the student loan debt crisis and revitalize the economy.

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)