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Economic Stimulus Should Promote College Affordability

We joined 12 other national organizations to send a letter to Congressional leaders urging that their economic stimulus bill include major new investments in college affordability. Our proposal includes a dramatic Pell Grant increase, a boost in funding for Federal Work-Study, more access to PLUS loans, and emergency federal loan funds for some students.

document icon  Read the letter

Stop the Student Loan Bailout

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to prop up private student loan providers as part of the $700 billion dollar economic bailout package is misguided and will be harmful to students and borrowers if it doesn't require new consumer protections for private loans. We need you to keep the pressure on and demand that any government bailout for lenders who make these risky, high-cost loans address the needs of borrowers as well.

take action button Write to Secretary Paulson urging him not to sell out students while bailing out lenders.

document icon  Read our letter to Secretary Paulson

Student Loans and the Economic Crisis

With all of the problems in the credit markets, it is logical to ask whether families are able to get the student loans they need for college. Fortunately, federal student loans are as available as ever. Since most student loans are made or guaranteed by the federal government, policymakers were able to intervene to make sure that students could continue to borrow federal loans at reasonable, fixed interest rates.  (See background on why there is no reason to worry about federal student loan availability).

A small portion of student borrowing has been in the form of private, non-federal loans. This market has had the same difficulties facing other types of credit, so private loans have become less available and more expensive. Many people who had relied on private loans are discovering that there are grant and federal loan options that can fill that void. This has resulted in a substantial increase in federal loan borrowing.

In tough economic times it is more important than ever to reduce the need to borrow and make college more affordable and accessible. To this end, we and a dozen other national organizations have developed a proposal for how a new economic stimulus package could promote those goals and help turn our economy around in the process.

Letter to President-Elect Obama

Barack Obama and his administration will soon be making important decisions about the types of financial resources available to students and their families, as well as how easy those resources are to find out about, apply for, and use. We sent a letter to President-Elect Obama congratulating him on his election and urging him to focus on reforms that will make a real difference to college access and success.

document icon  Read the letter




IBR Info

Student Loan Options in a Tight Credit Market helps prospective borrowers choose the right financing options. 

A Borrower's Guide to 2008-09 Loan Terms explains important student loan-related changes that went into effect July 1, 2008.

Questions to Ask About Private Loans so prospective borrowers understand what they're getting into.

The Top 10 Student Loan Tips for Recent Graduates provides useful information new graduates should know about repaying student loans. 

Student Loan Borrower Assistance is a comprehensive resource for consumers who are having any kind of problem with student loans.

Question: Do you feel you had adequate information about your student loan options and repayment conditions before taking out your student loans?

Yes, I was very well informed
I was somewhat informed
No, I was very poorly informed
I am currently searching for information



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