Joe Pitts’ Post

On March 15th, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new steps to crack down on hidden junk fees as part of President Biden’s agenda to lower costs for students and families paying for college. Junk fees are hidden costs or surprise fees that companies and institutions include on customer or student bills, increasing their costs. #cheapertuition #collegeforall #collegesavings #affordability #inflation #risingcosts #monetarypolicy #junkfees https://lnkd.in/egNPkYfr

College application fees can sometimes add up to hundreds of dollars, depending on how many schools a student is applying to. However, students can sometimes reduce these application costs. #GreatCollegeAdvice #CollegeApplications #CollegeAdmissions #FinancialAid

College application fees can quickly add up and lead to students paying hundreds of dollars. However, many colleges offer fee waivers to eligible students. #GreatCollegeAdvice #CollegeAdmissions #CollegeApplications

Financial barriers to college access go far beyond rising tuition costs. As students get priced out of the housing market, they are taking on more & more debt to afford living costs. Colleges should be more transparent about their cost of attendance. https://lnkd.in/dkucwc3v

A really interesting higher education bill that (for the first time in my memory) seeks to hold colleges accountable to what they are charging students for college. And some colleges could be facing upwards of $100,000,000 in fines as a result... will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Whether you're planning how you'll pay for education, or vetting repayment options, here are some tips for college students and their parents.

An increasing number of colleges are introducing "no-loan" policies to entice students to enroll, but this does not make college free or prevent students and families from borrowing money. #GreatCollegeAdvice #FinancialAid #NoLoanFinancialAid

An increasing number of colleges are introducing "no-loan" policies to entice students to enroll, but this does not make college free or prevent students and families from borrowing money. #GreatCollegeAdvice #FinancialAid #NoLoanFinancialAid

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) doesn't lack for ambition. In just three years, ED has pursued $400 billion worth of student loan cancellation by executive order, a $475 billion overhaul of student loan repayment plans, $130 billion worth of changes to other loan-discharge programs, myriad regulations targeting for-profit colleges and other entities, and more. Most of these initiatives were not mandated, let alone authorized, by Congress. We can debate the wisdom of each of these policies, but they consume a scarce resource: the attention of senior officials at ED. Unfortunately, ED's leaders seem to have shortchanged an important task that Congress actually asked them to perform: simplifying the form students use to apply for financial aid. The launch of that form (the FAFSA) earlier this year has proved a disaster. Many students have received inaccurate financial aid estimates. Hundreds of thousands haven't submitted the FAFSA at all. Colleges are working under a compressed schedule to process students' data and calculate aid packages. ED still hasn't provided much of the necessary data to schools. An Inside Higher Ed investigation, drawing on sources familiar with the FAFSA changes, found that ED “underestimated the work involved in the FAFSA overhaul from the get-go and viewed the project primarily as a system issue — one that wasn’t as high-profile as their other ambitious plans.” Ultimately, the consequences of ED's misplaced priorities will fall on the shoulders of prospective college students--some of whom will be denied the chance to pursue higher education at all. For more, read my latest in National Review: https://lnkd.in/eFwT9hsy

RISK-SHARING is becoming real for higher education institutions. This bill may not be the only place it shows up. Without definitions, this bill could potentially cost schools more than they receive in student loans. Champion feels this is a dangerous, slippery slope that will jeopardize education access and force schools to deny enrollment to higher-risk students. The Higher Education Act of 1965 was part of the Civil Rights movement and designed to provide education opportunities to high-risk and minority populations. We need to uphold that focus and ensure access to education for all students. Write your Congressional representatives and Senators in WDC with your thoughts on this bill. It has been given to the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Link to Champion’s summary: https://lnkd.in/edd6A-s6