The Fall and Rise of the US Department of Education
The proverbial axe fell yesterday in DC with a cut of approximately 1,900 US Department of Education staff, equivalent to almost half the entire staff of the department. Officially, around 1,300 were fired; 600 had already taken buyouts. The Administration promised that cuts won’t impact Pell Grants, student loans, and other sensitive program operations. But there is plenty of damage that is being done. Continue reading The Fall and Rise of the US Department of Education
A Time for Action
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist I preface this piece by acknowledging that I am an equal-opportunity political critic. While I lean left and am a registered Democrat, I have also taken on the Biden Administration in recent years as well as both Dems and GOP members. Politics is a contact sport. Here is the deal. Every four years, voters have the … Continue reading A Time for Action
Loan Cancellation or Pension Bailout? A Conundrum for the Pundits
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist In August 2022, the Biden Administration dropped a student loan cancellation program on the country. At a cost of over $400 million, the program was to cancel $10,000 of student loan debt from anyone with an income of under $125,000/year ($250k if married filing jointly). Another $10,000 for those who received a Pell Grant, which is … Continue reading Loan Cancellation or Pension Bailout? A Conundrum for the Pundits
Background Data on Student Debt in America
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist Since I wrote my piece on the Biden Administration’s Student Loan Debt Reduction Plan last week, there has been a lot of information and fallout by colleagues and friends on the issue. Most people I know are on the positive side of the policy, saying that this is helpful for a lot of people who are … Continue reading Background Data on Student Debt in America
The Problem(s) with Biden’s Student Loan Debt Relief Plan
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist Earlier today, the Biden Administration unleashed the Biden Administration’s Student Loan Debt Relief Plan (SLDRP?), a new series of policies aimed at reducing student loan burden for millions of current and past students across the country. My organization and hundreds (perhaps thousands) of others around the country have been diligently advocating for improvements to college access … Continue reading The Problem(s) with Biden’s Student Loan Debt Relief Plan
The Swail Letter on Higher Education 