Sandy Baum

Nonresident Fellow, focus on Education information and Policy – Urban Institute

Adam Looney

Nonresident Senior Fellow – Economic Studies

Executive Director, Marriner S. Eccles Institute, University of Utah

Many news stories and reports about pupil financial obligation cite the known undeniable fact that People in the us owe a lot more than $1.5 trillion. The fact households within the half that is upper of income circulation and those with graduate degrees hold a disproportionate share of this financial obligation hardly ever helps it be in to the narrative. But whom owes training financial obligation can be as essential as exactly exactly exactly how debt that is much is. Just with this information can we determine whom struggles for their figuratively speaking and that is succeeding when you look at the work market due to the training that loans assisted them attain.

Recently released information through the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances make sure upper-income households take into account a disproportionate share of education loan debt—and a straight bigger share of month-to-month out-of-pocket student financial obligation re payments.

The highest-income 40 per cent of households (people that have incomes above $74,000) owe very nearly 60 % of this outstanding training financial obligation and make nearly three-quarters associated with re re payments. The lowest-income 40 per cent of households hold just below 20 per cent for the outstanding financial obligation and make just ten percent of this re re payments. [Read more…]