Apr 10, 2017

Campus sticker shock: $1.4T in loans, tuition soaring

The FT's Rana Foroohar surveys the student loan landscape in the U.S., where declining state investments and burgeoning administrative costs have contributed to rapid inflation in tuition bills for students and parents:

  • "[O]ver the past 10 years the amount of student loan debt in the US has grown by 170 per cent, to a whopping $1.4tn — more than car loans, or credit card debt."
  • "In America, 44m people have student debt. Eight million of those borrowers are in default. That's a default rate which is still higher than pre-crisis levels..."
  • "Having just attended the first college preparation meeting at my daughter's high school, where I was told to expect a $72,000 a year sticker fee for Ivy League and liberal arts colleges, I would feel lucky to get away with just that."

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Mike Allen
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Postal slowdown threatens election breakdown

In 24 hours, signs of a pre-election postal slowdown have moved from the shadows to the spotlight, with evidence emerging all over the country that this isn't a just a potential threat, but is happening before our eyes.

Why it matters: If you're the Trump administration, and you're in charge of the federal government, remember that a Pew poll published in April found the Postal Service was viewed favorably by 91% of Americans.

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 21,280,608 — Total deaths: 767,422— Total recoveries: 13,290,879 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 5,335,398 — Total deaths: 168,903 — Total recoveries: 1,796,326 — Total tests: 65,676,624 — Map.
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  4. States: New York to reopen gyms, bowling alleys, museums.
  5. Podcasts: The rise of learning pods — Special ed under pressure — Not enough laptops — The loss of learning.
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Mike Allen
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

USPS pushes election officials to pay more for mail ballots

Protesters gather in Kalorama Park in D.C. today before demonstrating outside the condo of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Photo: Cheriss May/Reuters

The Postal Service has urged state election officials to pay first class for mail ballots, which Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says could nearly triple the cost.

Why it matters: Senate Democrats claim that "it has been the practice of USPS to treat all election mail as First Class mail regardless of the paid class of service."

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