Congress is on the verge of eliminating Grad PLUS—the program which extends effectively unlimited taxpayer-funded loans to graduate students—and imposing caps on graduate loans for the first time since 2006. The demise of Grad PLUS is welcome. My analysis at AEI: www.aei.org/education/co...

My take on the Senate HELP higher education reform package www.aei.org/education/th...

My analysis of which colleges would benefit the most from the accountability provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act--and which would face the stiffest penalties. www.aei.org/education/ho...

Overregulation has made it hard to start new colleges —and the consequences for students are fewer opportunities and rising prices. Over at RealClearEducation, I argue that Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson should add higher education to the "Abundance" agenda. www.realcleareducation.com/articles/202...

North Carolina! I'll be speaking with Jenna Robinson at this event in Raleigh on June 5. Join us if you're around! jamesgmartin.center/event/does-c...

Just 12m of 35m student borrowers not enrolled in school are paying their loans on time. This could push some colleges above the 30% default rate threshold that would--if sustained--cause them to lose access federal aid. Colleges have a responsibility to help return student borrowers to repayment.

My newsletter this month looks at strategies college trustees can use to improve students' return on investment at their institutions. Plus, my analysis of the House reconciliation bill & the Ed Dept resuming student loan collections. open.substack.com/pub/prestonc...

House Republicans have proposed a new student loan repayment plan that would - for borrowers who keep up with their payments - prevent balances from rising over time. Here's how it works: www.aei.org/education/ho...

Good morning! I am in the Washington Post today with a look at the troubling student loan repayment situation--and what the government can do about it. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

No one benefits when borrowers are allowed to default. If the student loan program is to continue functioning, there must be consequences to discourage default. Reimplementing the collections system was always going to be necessary, and now is as good a time as ever. www.forbes.com/sites/presto...

What actions could Secretary McMahon take *right now* to raise awareness among student loan borrowers that payments are due again? I explore two options over at the AEI blog. www.aei.org/education/ho...

In February 2020, the last month before the student loan payment pause began, 60 percent of borrowers (serviced by Nelnet) were repaying their loans on time. Last month, the current repayment rate was just 38 percent. New data in my latest post for AEI: www.aei.org/education/le...

Student loan payments have resumed after a five-year pause. But the return to repayment is going badly. Congress and the Trump administration need to fix it, I argue in @thehill.com thehill.com/opinion/educ...

Appreciate Adam Wittenberg quoting me in this good piece about rising student loan delinquencies. readlion.com/student-loan...

I have a new report for AEI looking at changes in college tuition between 1990 and 2020. While net tuition paid by students rose around $4,500 in real terms, net tuition received by institutions rose $8,100. The wedge is due to rising external financial aid. www.aei.org/research-pro...

There are 35 million federal student loan borrowers not enrolled in school. As of September 2024, just 13 million were making on-time payments on their loans. My latest post on the data behind the return to repayment: www.aei.org/education/th...

Super excited to join this panel next Tuesday at SXSW EDU in Austin! Join us if you can. Details: schedule.sxswedu.com/2025/events/...

We have an injunction from the 8th Circuit blocking the SAVE plan, as expected. But the order also says that *all loan forgiveness* on income-driven repayment plans using the same statutory authority is illegal. The implications here are potentially big. New from me: www.forbes.com/sites/presto...

February newsletter is out! This month I look at how state governments contribute to degree inflation (and what they can do about that). Also: How Trump can fix the student loan program, and college enrollment trends to watch. Read it here: prestoncooper93.substack.com/p/how-states...

I'm testifying for the House Education & Workforce Committee tomorrow at 10:15 on the state of American higher education. Tune in here: www.youtube.com/live/TB4nIgm...

The Postsecondary Commission, an aspiring new accreditor focused on student outcomes, is hiring a program manager. Great opportunity for rising higher ed scholars--and a fantastic team to work with. Link to the job description: postsecondarycommission.org/wp-content/u...

Takeaways from the Nat'l Student Clearinghouse college enrollment trends report: -The FAFSA debacle had less impact than expected. -Vocational schools show strong growth. -Students are choosing high-value college majors. -A rise in grad school enrollment has me worried. www.aei.org/education/fo...

How Trump can permanently fix the student loan program My latest at the Washington Examiner: www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-am...

Congress can Democrat-proof the student loan program forever with a simple change: Block the Education Department from issuing new regulations or executive actions related to the student loan program that increase costs to taxpayers. My latest for AEI: www.aei.org/education/co...

My former FREOPP colleague, Annie Bowers, has published an excellent new paper on outcomes-based funding for higher education, and how to get it right. freopp.org/whitepapers/...

The Trump transition team is undoubtedly making plans to undo many Biden-era regulations and executive order. But on education, there's one initiative the new administration should maintain: the Financial Value Transparency rule. My latest www.aei.org/education/th...

Some employers are dropping hiring preferences for graduates of ultra-elite colleges. The cases are anecdotal so far, but if they become a trend it would be welcome. My latest for AEIdeas: www.aei.org/education/em...

I've been in Southeast Asia for the past three weeks. What did I miss?

I caught up with Rep. Virginia Foxx on Monday. We discussed her eight-year tenure as the Republican leader on House Ed & Workforce, the College Cost Reduction Act, and what comes next. Watch the full conversation here: www.aei.org/multimedia/r...

Employers and state governments have dropped degree requirements from jobs where they're not necessary. But so far we're not seeing the fruits of their efforts in the data--degree inflation continues apace. My latest in Forbes: www.forbes.com/sites/presto...

I have a new report for FREOPP on state authorization of colleges: what it is, how it works, case studies of new institutions that have navigated it, and policy recommendations to balance innovation & consumer protection. freopp.org/whitepapers/...

I have a new @nberpubs.bsky.social working paper out with @dubravkaritter.bsky.social and @dougwebberecon.bsky.social that examines the extent to which college closures can be predicted. Using machine learning, we improve on traditional models. But it's still hard to predict exact closure dates.

I'm quoted in Business Insider on what might happen with loan cancellation under Trump. www.businessinsider.com/save-plan-ch...

A study showing disappointing results for certain short-term programs doesn't mean we shouldn't expand Pell Grants to short-term workforce education. Rather, we should require programs receiving funding to meet high standards. www.aei.org/education/do...

"CBO expects that taxpayers will lose 25 cents on every dollar they lend to graduate students over the coming decade...That equates to $130 billion in taxpayer losses." "End Federal Loans for Graduate School" via @prestoncooper93.bsky.social. www.aei.org/education/en...

Federal loans to graduate students will cost taxpayers $130 billion over the next decade. There's evidence federal loans increase tuition and subsidize low-quality master's programs. My new issue brief for Ed Counsel argues we should end them. www.aei.org/research-pro...

"Brand-name schools have realised that they can trade on their reputation to offer programmes that look very prestigious on paper," says Dr Cooper, "but which don’t have outcomes that justify the hype." I'm quoted in The Economist on master's degrees. www.economist.com/internationa...

"Something else dramatic is happening to the college application process, for the first time in decades: It’s becoming easier to get in." I'm quoted in Jon Marcus' latest on college admissions. hechingerreport.org/a-trend-coll...