A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Student Loan Debt and Its Impact on Postsecondary Education and the American Economy

This paper seeks to address the current student debt problem in the United States from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. I have analyzed the student debt problem using data from the New York Federal Reserve, CollegeBoard, and a number of university studies and independent sources. In this paper I address the current structure of postsecondary educational finance with a focus on student loans. I address the causes of the current amount of outstanding student debt on governmental, institutional, and personal fronts, and analyze the amount of debt and cost of tuition and fees by type of institution in order to create a more complete picture of the current student debt problem. After considering the causes of the current level of student debt, I analyze its current and potential future impact on the economy by focusing on housing and automobile purchases as leading indicators of future economic disturbance. Finally, I discuss possible solutions to this problem by outlining potential plans of action for incoming college students, individual institutions, and both federal and state governments