Ed Money Watch Blog

These days, anyone who follows the news can recite statistics on student debt. The media has repeated countless times phrases like “there is $1 trillion in outstanding student debt” and “borrowers have an average of $23,300 in loans.” But do these numbers really mean what the media, policymakers and advocates think they mean? Which is, do these numbers tell how much debt the typical student carries? Not at all.

First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that “$1 trillion” refers to the total outstanding balance of the entire universe of student loans. That’s all loans from federal and ...

While Congress has debated extending the 3.4 percent interest rate on Subsidized Stafford loans issued this year to undergraduates, advocacy groups are gearing up for a debate on longer-term reforms. They know the odds don’t favor Congress adopting a one-year extension of the lower rate again next year. Besides, spending $6 billion to save college graduates $9 a month isn’t a great deal for borrowers or taxpayers. So it’s good that student aid advocates want a better plan. But they aren’t off to a great start. They are gathering support for an outrageously expensive proposal that turns a blind ...

This year, the president and the Department of Education (ED) have taken on a new challenge — re-imagining the teaching profession through the Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence, and Collaborative Teaching (RESPECT) program. The White House rolled out RESPECT on February 15 of this year with the mission of transforming the teaching profession into a highly respected, effective, and well-paid career. Last week, ED released additional details about RESPECT, focusing on strategies to elevate teachers, which were developed after consulting teachers, school leaders, analysts, ...

Congress is now officially deadlocked over how to pay for a one-year extension of the 3.4 percent interest rate offered on newly-issued Subsidized Stafford student loans. The disagreement isn’t over extending the rate, but where to find the extra $6 billion needed to pay for it. In the midst of all the partisan bickering, wouldn’t it be great if Congress could magically lower interest rates for all borrowers without cutting other programs or raising taxes, while reducing budget deficits in the meantime? Take a look at the Congressional Budget Office’s “Reducing the Deficit: Spending and Revenue ...

Hawaii teachers union leader wants to revisit contract members rejected earlier this year

Who would pay for proposed Michigan free-tuition plan with annual price tag in the billions?

University of Wyoming trustees hear that Gov. Mead’s request for 8 percent budget cuts will cost $15.6M

Louisiana panel rejects testing bill

Hawaii teachers union leader wants to revisit contract members rejected earlier this year
Facing the threat of losing $75 million in Race to the Top funds this year, the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) is asking teachers to reconsider a ...

Ever since the Department of Education (ED) released guidance on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waivers, policymakers have debated the merits and problems surrounding the new accountability systems that states proposed. The waivers, if ED approves them, allow states to replace the accountability system Congress put in place under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – Adequate Yearly Progress – with their own rules.  ED just released letters from their peer reviewers to each of the 27 states that submitted waiver applications in the second round. After comparing these letters to the ...

This post was first published as a response to a prompt on the National Journal’s Education Experts Blog on May 1, 2012. The prompt and responses from other experts can be viewed on the National Journal’s website here.

It’s important to think about “what protections [for borrowers] would be needed,” if Congress made changes to the interest rates on federal student loans. Even so, it seems hardly anyone understands the protections borrowers already get under the current federal loan system. What else could explain President Obama and Mitt Romney’s mutual misunderstanding that charging ...

Every year the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directs a huge chunk of federal spending to higher education for veterans education benefits — more than $1.7 billion in the 2009-10 school year alone. But VA education benefits are often overlooked in education policy discussions. This is largely because of a lack of transparency in the VA budget. The agency doesn’t make good accounting information readily available. On top of these opaque budgeting practices, little information is available on the effectiveness of the current iteration of the GI Bill, how schools spend that money, or the degree ...

Fewer students mean less Washington state money for schools

More layoffs for massive California school district

Nebraska college system raises tuition 3.5 percent

Nevada legislators question higher education funding formula

Fewer students mean less Washington state money for schools
Though Washington state lawmakers passed a fiscal year 2013 budget that does not include any new cuts to K-12 education, lower-than-anticipated growth in student enrollment means that overall spending levels for public schools will decline by $61 million from 2012 levels. The most recent ...