Editorial Staff

College Debt Explained: Education Pays When Students Choose Wisely

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with American Enterprise Institute resident fellow and education economist Beth Akers about the American student debt crisis (totalling $1.6 trillion). They explore who borrows, who is in debt, and which policy choices might best serve the financial needs of every student.

Related: The Boston Globe op-ed: “A Truly Progressive Student Loan Policy”

Guest:
Beth Akers is an economist focusing on the labor market and higher education. She is currently a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, she was a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a staff economist with the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush. Akers is the author of Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on College and coauthor of Game of Loans: The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt. Her writing and research have been featured in, among others, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Quartz, Newsweek, and The Hill. She has appeared on CNBC, ABC News, Bloomberg TV, C-SPAN, among other TV and radio networks. Akers received a B.S. in mathematics and economics from SUNY Albany and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.

Get new episodes of Hubwonk in your inbox!

Recent Episodes:

Learning From California: Policy Lessons From Golden State Exodus

Joe Selvaggi speaks with Tim Anaya of the Pacific Research Institute about his new book, The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide, exploring insights and lessons on how Massachusetts can stay competitive.

New England Short Circuit: Distorted Incentives Drive Energy Prices Up and Reliability Down

Joe Selvaggi talks with Travis Fisher from the Cato Institute about the rising costs and increasing fragility of the New England power grid, as green capacity incentives distract from neglected infrastructure.

Controlling Drug Prices: Costs and Benefits of Direct Negotiation with Big Pharma

Joe Selvaggi talks with Bill Smith, Director of the Life Sciences Initiative at Pioneer Institute, about the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on drug pricing negotiations and its potential effects on drug development, consumers, and taxpayers.

Harris’ Tax Vision: Policy & Politics

Joe Selvaggi talks with Tax Foundation Vice President William McBride about the details and potential effects of the tax policy proposed by Kamala Harris's presidential campaign

Digital Privacy Divide: Can Law Enforcement Google Where You’ve Been?

Joe Selvaggi talks with Cato Institute legal fellow Brent Skorup about the split in the court of appeals over the Constitution's 4th Amendment protections concerning law enforcement's search of location tracking data.

Housing Bond Bill: Could Billions Better Bay State Cost of Living

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer's Senior Housing Fellow, Andrew Mikula, about the recently passed $5.2 billion bond bill, discussing its key features and how it might impact the supply and cost of homes in Massachusetts.

Ruinous Red Tape: Epic Cost of Unchecked Federal Rule Making

Joe Selvaggi discusses the emergence of the massive, costly, and rapidly growing register of federal rules and regulations with Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Wayne Crews.

Property Tax Reassessment: Beleaguered Buildings Bear Burden of Boston’s Burgeoning Budget

Joe Selvaggi talks with Marty Walz, the interim president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, about more viable, long-term alternatives to Mayor Wu’s property tax classification proposal.

Registering Republican Realignment: GOP Convention Showcases Conservatism’s New Direction

Joe Selvaggi talks with the CATO Institute’s Dr. Norbert Michel about the shift in the Republican vision and policy goals from decades past, as reflected in the nominees and guest speakers at the 2024 GOP Convention.

Candidate Selection Breakdown: Presidential Primary Primacy or Determined Delegate Detour

Joe Selvaggi talks with MIT Professor Charles Stewart III about the political party’s presidential candidate nomination process and what or who ultimately decides who is chosen.