June is fast turning into college affordability month on Capitol Hill. A fresh crop of college graduates, a final push for midterm election talking points, and the impending retirement of HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have all raised the profile of student debt. But while promoting opportunity is essential, we can do more to address affordability by focusing on accountability — for schools and for students.
It is undeniable that rising student debt burdens are imposing a tremendous strain on young Americans. Though 70 percent of borrowers have outstanding loans of less than $25,000, all are struggling under the weight of a slow-growth economy.
Yet forgiving all of the student loans and interest payments in the world still doesn’t address why the postsecondary education system has become so unaffordable. Neither will blindly throwing more money into Pell Grants, a program with unknown effectiveness.
Continue reading the article at the Hill.
