The average student graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2016 graduated with more than $37,000 in student loan debt, and according to the personal finance website, Make Lemonade, there are more than 44 million borrowers with $1.3 trillion in student loan debt in the United States.
On this edition of Talk of Iowa, Charity Nebbe hosts a conversation on the impact of student debt facing today’s students and graduates, as well as some unique ideas for making college more affordable in the future. She talks with a mom who is worried about paying for her daughter’s school, a recent college graduate, Elizabeth Sedrel from Iowa College Aid; Liang Wee of Northeast Iowa Community College; and Christopher Morphew of the University of Iowa.
Today’s show is a continuation of a series of conversations about big ideas, in partnership with the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
The Gazette is hosting a non-partisan statewide learning experience in conjunction with the launch of their new magazine called “Iowa Ideas.” They are holding events around the state, culminating in a two-day conference in Cedar Rapids in September. On Tuesday, March 6, they’ll be at the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City to focus on the topic of higher education.