Affordable Higher Education Media Hits

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Rising Concerns Over Student Loans, Public and Private

College students and their advocates are increasingly concerned about student loans, both those administered by the federal government and those made by private lenders.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Rate on popular student loan about to double

(MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY The interest rate for a popular federal student loan is about to double for millions of college students.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Interest rate could double on some student loans

The fixed interest rate on Stafford federal subsidized loans, held by nearly 8 million undergraduates, is set to double on July 1, a few months before the start of the new school year.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Student-Aid Groups Welcome Consumer-Protection Leader

Yesterday's recess appointment by President Obama of Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was applauded by groups that advocate for student financial aid.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Consumer bureau: Now, it can do something

Rich Williams, a higher education advocate for U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) said he's looking forward to the consumer bureau's work with student loans, as well as credit cards and debit cards issued on campus. With a director, the bureau can now set rules of the road for all providers of student loans, not just those issued by banks.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Obama's New Consumer Finance Chief Can Lower Student Debt

The CFPB is a new kind of regulator designed to do one job and do it well -- protect Americans from toxic financial products. However, since July 21, the CFPB has been up and running, but only with partial powers. Now, with a director in place, the CFPB has additional abilities that kick in -- including the right to regulate private student lenders like Sallie Mae.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Federal bill cuts Pell Grants for about 100,000 students nationwide

Rich Williams, the higher education advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said in a statement that Congress is “blindsiding about 143,000 students next year.”

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Income-Based Repayment: A Closer Look

Rich Williams, higher education advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG, told Diverse that the move by the White House “is a positive step, but more needs to be done on student debt.”

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Help for college debt coming, but not soon enough for some

This week, President Barack Obama introduced two changes to the federal student loan program to help new borrowers. An estimated 1.6 million students will be eligible for the new repayment plan, which allows student borrowers to cap their loan repayments at 10 percent of their discretionary income, up from 450,000 under the current system. Another 6 million will be able to consolidate their debt, in some cases slightly reducing their interest rates.