Aligning the Means and the Ends: How to Improve Federal Student Aid and Increase College Access and Success

This white paper calls for major changes to federal student aid, including Pell Grants, student loans, and tax benefits, with the goals of increasing college affordability and completion. More than two dozen recommendations would simplify the financial aid system, from applying for aid to repaying student loans; better target resources; reduce waste and fraud; and align incentives for colleges with better outcomes for students.

Read the press release

Student Debt and the Class of 2011

Two-thirds of college seniors who graduated in 2011 had student loan debt, with an average of $26,600 per borrower. Meanwhile, unemployment for young college graduates remained high at 8.8 percent in 2011. Our new report, Student Debt and the Class of 2011, includes average debt levels for the 50 states and District of Columbia and for more than 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

Read the press release

Adding It All Up 2012: Are College Net Price Calculators Easy to Find, Use, and Compare?

This report examines the state of net price calculators nearly a year after almost all U.S. colleges were required to post them on their websites. These online tools are supposed to help consumers look past "sticker price" and get an early, individualized estimate of what a specific college might cost them. Our in-depth look at 50 randomly selected colleges' calculators found that many are difficult for prospective college students and their families to find, use, and compare. The report includes specific recommendations for colleges and the U.S. Department of Education to make net price calculators more useful to all students and families.

Read the press release

Read the report

Student Loan Default Rates Show Continued Borrower Distress

New data released by the U.S. Department of Education confirm that student loan default continues to plague far too many borrowers. However, the data paint an uneven picture behind the overall trend, with three-year default rates at for-profit colleges double those of public colleges and triple those of nonprofit colleges.  Nearly half (47 percent) of defaulters attended for-profit colleges, which enroll only 13 percent of students. These data underscore the need for more oversight and stronger standards at schools where poor student outcomes are the norm, and for intensified efforts to help borrowers enroll in affordable repayment plans before they default.

Read the press release

Visit the Cohort Default Rate Resources page