NTJ Forum: The Rise of Student Debt and Loan Forgiveness Policies

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The Editors of the National Tax Journal (NTJ) are excited to continue our webinar series that periodically features some of the NTJ’s recently published articles.

Co-sponsored with the University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, The Rise of Student Debt and Loan Forgiveness webinar will comprise four papers from the Forum in the September 2024 issue.

In the U.S., pursuing a higher degree has become increasingly synonymous with financial burden. In the decades leading up to the pandemic, the sticker price of a college or graduate degree rose as administrative spending increased and funding for public colleges and universities fell. More and more, students turned to loans to finance their higher education, saddling them with debt before they begin their professional careers. And even as undergraduate sticker prices and average loan amount have fallen since 2020, overall levels of student debt have continued to rise.

In response to ballooning student debt, loan forgiveness programs have emerged as a potential solution but remain subject to much debate. Advocates argue that forgiving student debt is a pragmatic way to alleviate financial burdens and foster social equity, while critics contend that blanket loan forgiveness may encourage moral hazard problems and pose significant fiscal challenges.

Please join us as Andrew Samwick (Dartmouth College) moderates a discussion with  Jake Brooks (Fordham University), Sylvain Catherine (University of Pennsylvania-Wharton), Adam Looney (University of Utah-Eccles), Lesley Turner (University of Chicago-Harris), and Constantine Yannelis (University of Chicago-Booth) on some of the key questions around student debt and loan forgiveness policies.

Catherine and Yannelis’s paper is coauthored with Mark Perez Clanton. Turner’s paper is coauthored with Rajeev Darolia and Tomás Monarrez.

Webinar Co-Sponsor 

Webinar Details

Webinar Date: September 24, 2024
Webinar Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST