Pew founded and then collaborated on The Project on Student Debt from 2005 to 2010 to champion practical policy changes to prevent unmanageable student debt burdens, avoid unnecessary borrowing and help students finance their educations more wisely.
For Americans of all socio-economic backgrounds, borrowing became a primary way to pay for higher education. The Project on Student Debt worked to increase public understanding of this trend and the implications for our families, economy, and society. Recognizing that loans play a critical role in making college possible, the Project's goal was to identify cost-effective solutions that expand educational opportunity, protect family financial security, and advance economic competitiveness.
The Project on Student Debt was an initiative of the Institute for College Access & Success, a nonprofit independent research and policy organization dedicated to making college more available and affordable to people of all backgrounds.
Working with experts, the project conducted nonpartisan research and advocated for practical policy options to reduce debt. In 2007, Congress passed and the president signed bipartisan legislation that improved repayment options for student borrowers, a program modeled on the Institute's research. Today, the Institute is working to simplify the application for student grants so more students can take advantage of this type of funding instead of loans.
For more information on The Project on Student Debt and its current activities, please visit its web site.