Since 1980, the Parents Plus program has let families borrow federal loans to cover the full cost of college tuition. Now, the Trump admin is setting a loan limit of $65k per student. Peter Granville (@petergranville.bsky.social) shares his perspective with @washingtonpost.com.

This morning, we released an alarming new report detailing the depths of Americans’ financial distress, based on a June survey of 2,000 voters with Morning Consult. TCF President Julie Margetta Morgan (@jmargetta.bsky.social) explains in a new op-ed in @rollingstone.com.

It was great speaking with @j-alonso.bsky.social for her latest with @insidehighered.com. Medicaid cuts are a college success issue, a debt issue, and a financial aid issue. I've seen firsthand how emergency aid can help students withstand medical costs and was glad to put a plug in for them here.

H.S. students with the Institute for Civility recently met with TCF’s @petergranville.bsky.social, who shared his insights on college affordability. “The students grasped complex ideas & asked tough questions. Lawmakers should take a page from these students’ willingness to engage with new ideas.”

NEW: The U.S. House is moving ahead with a budget bill that would make devastating cuts to health care and food assistance while slashing taxes for the richest Americans. In response, TCF president @jmargetta.bsky.social issued the following statement: go.tcf.org/GOPBudget

Come join our team! Applications are now open to be TCF's next Government Affairs Director. Ideal requirements: 10+ yrs on/with the Hill with deep policy & committee expertise, strong relationships, and a passion for progressive change. Learn more and apply today.

“The federal government has long stayed away from any involvement in a college’s curriculum or hiring, and current law prohibits this kind of intrusion into academic affairs…the executive order steps far across this line.” –TCF’s @bobshireman.bsky.social in today’s NYT.

The GAO released an important report today showing how college students' health coverage rates have changed since the passage of the ACA in 2010. Their analysis matches what my colleagues and I found in 2020: the ACA halved the uninsured rate for America's college students. tcf.org/content/repo...

Big changes are coming for the nearly 43 million people with outstanding federal student debt. Today, @petergranville.bsky.social joined @yahoofinance.com to discuss how borrowers can navigate the turbulence at the federal level. Full clip: bit.ly/LoanChanges

If you know my organization @tcfdotorg.bsky.social, you know how much we want to see policy work for everyone. Today, we're thrilled that @jmargetta.bsky.social—who has worked tirelessly to deliver real solutions to challenges facing American families—will officially lead TCF into our next chapter.

For over 30 years, college students have been assured that their student loan debts would eventually be forgiven if they made regular income-based payments. This promise is now at risk due to legal challenges to the SAVE plan, via @bobshireman.bsky.social—who helped write the original legislation.

For @teenvogue.com today, I wrote about the impact of closing the Dept of Education. Long story short: students of all ages will face a more divided, unequal system that restricts opportunities instead of creating them, and that is the point. www.teenvogue.com/story/what-w...

Before federal student loan repayment paused in 2020, nearly 20% of borrowers—8M Americans—were in default. The outstanding debt reached $1.5T. In response, DOE launched the SAVE Plan, and 8M borrowers enrolled by mid-2024. Today, its future is uncertain. tcf.org/content/comm...

This important change from ED will help older student loan borrowers struggling with repayment, including many who have been paying for decades. 43% of borrowers experiencing Social Security offsets in 2015 had held their loans for 20+ years, and 11% had them for 30+ years (!), per GAO research.

In a new piece for @tcfdotorg.bsky.social, my colleagues and I revisit the history of the SAVE Plan: how its design meets borrowers needs, how the lawsuits put relief in jeopardy, and what could happen next. The explainer unpacks this critical juncture for borrowers: tcf.org/content/comm...

Valuable recommendations in this new brief by @georgetownpoverty.bsky.social on how to craft a better, fairer Parent PLUS program, without compromising access for those who turn to the program as a last resort:

For six months, I've taken the metro to work most workdays and read my weekly print issue of @economist.com on the way. In those six months, today was the first day I saw another person with a magazine or newspaper in their hands. I see you, stranger