Help When You Need It: Sources of Advice for Student Loan Borrowers Across the Life Course

To promote the financial capabilities of student loan borrowers, practitioners must understand the experiences and needs of borrowers across the life course. A national survey ( n = 1,874) conducted by MIT AgeLab explored perceived loan-related effects across the life course and sources of advice for borrowers. Across age groups, repaying student loans had most regularly imposed negative perceived effects on multiple domains of borrowers’ financial well-being. Younger borrowers reported more negative perceived effects of loans across domains, whereas older borrowers reported fewer negative perceived effects. Few participants had sought professional advice about student loan repayment, although younger borrowers were more likely to have sought loan-related advice in general; perceived levels of helpfulness of advice and comfort consulting with contacts were mixed. Financial social work is uniquely situated to act as a resource for multiple generations of student loan borrowers and their families.

The Activities of the Tomsk Department of the Society for the Dissemination of Education among Jews in Russia during the First World War

The article examines the activities of the Tomsk department of the Society for the Spread of Education among Jews in Russia (SEJ) during the First World War. The aim of the study is to comprehensively consecrate the main vectors of the work of the members of the Tomsk SEJ in the context of the global cataclysm. Based on the involvement of a wide range of sources, the article describes the cultural, educational and charitable areas of the department's work. The organization was financed primarily by private donations received from the representatives of the Jewish communities of Siberia through holding charitable events and returning student loans. As a result of the scientific research, it was concluded that the peak of the activity of the Tomsk department of the SEJ was during the war years. The society had to adapt to the realities of wartime, while at the same time accomplishing the main goal of the organization – spreading education among the Jewish population. For a long time being the only SEJ representative in Siberia, the Tomsk department managed to take an honorable place among the educational organizations of the region. Under the influence of the refugee and social movement, the representatives of other Jewish institutions began to appear in Tomsk, which most often consisted of the same people. However, the Tomsk department of the SEJ has managed to maintain its importance and relevance.

AdAPTA Home

<p>The current housing situation in New Zealand has pushed young New Zealander’s out of home ownership. A national shortage of housing stock, high house and land prices, off-shore investors, high student loans and the fact that incomes have not risen as rapidly as house prices has contributed to this situation. Young New Zealander’s are increasingly spending prolonged amounts of time flatting, renting or living with family in order to have the fundamental requirement of a roof over their head and to save money. The intention of this research is to establish a design outcome that provides an affordable and adaptable housing option for young New Zealander’s seeking home ownership. The outcome is informed by various examples of refined and affordable housing, the relationship between user and architecture, and the testing of what is truly necessary for a functional home. The proposed solution is the 10m2 “AdAPTA Home”; a refined and mobile housing model free of excesses and yet functional and adaptable to user needs. The design looks at how much space is truly necessary in our homes for living, and how much can be removed. The design is intended to be used throughout one’s life; beginning as an affordable initial housing option for a young person to achieve full home ownership in a short time frame, before moving through various stages in life where the dwelling can grow and adapt in response to changing needs, various situations and environments.</p>

AdAPTA Home

<p>The current housing situation in New Zealand has pushed young New Zealander’s out of home ownership. A national shortage of housing stock, high house and land prices, off-shore investors, high student loans and the fact that incomes have not risen as rapidly as house prices has contributed to this situation. Young New Zealander’s are increasingly spending prolonged amounts of time flatting, renting or living with family in order to have the fundamental requirement of a roof over their head and to save money. The intention of this research is to establish a design outcome that provides an affordable and adaptable housing option for young New Zealander’s seeking home ownership. The outcome is informed by various examples of refined and affordable housing, the relationship between user and architecture, and the testing of what is truly necessary for a functional home. The proposed solution is the 10m2 “AdAPTA Home”; a refined and mobile housing model free of excesses and yet functional and adaptable to user needs. The design looks at how much space is truly necessary in our homes for living, and how much can be removed. The design is intended to be used throughout one’s life; beginning as an affordable initial housing option for a young person to achieve full home ownership in a short time frame, before moving through various stages in life where the dwelling can grow and adapt in response to changing needs, various situations and environments.</p>

A Possibility or Just a Wish? Assessing Current Perceptions on the Potentials of a Full Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Legislation

Burdensome and unmanageable is what student loan repayment has become to almost 45 million Americans who owe a total of about $1.7 trillion in student loans. It is therefore intriguing to find out if a complete student loan debt forgiveness miracle is a possibility or just a wish, based on current perceptions. This study is based on the Three-Policy Window Stream Theory and the Interest Group Theory. Four mini-focus interview groups were created and their responses were analyzed using the Grounded-Theory Technique. From our findings, it is evident that student loan debt affects the mass, forming a rapidly growing informal interest group made up of mostly millennials. Yet, the pressure from this fast-growing informal interest group is not strong enough to oppose that of other interest groups like Republicans, taxpayers, financial institutions, and other stakeholders involved in student loans, to necessitate an immediate passage of legislation on student loans debt forgiveness.

“Longer than I Would’ve Originally Liked and Originally Thought”: Postsecondary Debt and Marriage Plans for Young Adults Coming of Age in the Great Recession

While student loans play a large role in the financing of higher education, there has been relatively little qualitative work on how young adults understand their debt burdens and the debt’s perceived future impact. We examine this topic utilizing a sample of 105 young people from working-, middle-, and upper middle-class backgrounds who experienced young adulthood during the Great Recession. While most respondents are accepting of debt at the time of postsecondary enrollment, their inability to meet the demands of their debt leads to frustration and anxiety. Further, many respondents are concerned that this debt will impact their ability to support themselves and transition into the role of a marital partner, although this varies across social class backgrounds and debt levels. We argue that this debt, and its corresponding repercussions, are likely to contribute to the continued bifurcation of family life in the United States.

Questioning College

The chapter “Questioning College” considers the stressors (economic and otherwise) that surround decisions about pursuing and paying for higher education. While attending college is now the norm for American emerging adults, some believe that higher education is essential yet inadequate for launching a career. Many graduate with crippling student loans that drastically limit their career options, yet they believe they have no chance of finding decent work without a degree. Others don’t pursue college, which has different implications for the path the rest of their lives may take. It’s a decision with far greater consequences than for previous generations, when many decent jobs were available to those without a college education, and yet another source of intense stress for many members of Generation Disaster.

600Homelessness in Hamilton, New Zealand: debt as a tipping point?

Background The People’s Project (TPP) in Hamilton, NZ takes a Housing First approach to eliminate homelessness. A recent research collaboration provides epidemiological evidence regarding: the people served through TPP; their service engagement; pathways into homelessness; and lost opportunities for early intervention. Methods Data has been collected from a total of 755 TPP participants, including those from client registrations (July 2015-March 2017; n = 695) and a ‘pathways into homelessness’ questionnaire implemented in 2019. All participants were asked questions regarding their experiences of debt, levels of debt and the specific agencies and debtors involved. Results Common pathways into homelessness included individual factors (e.g. substance dependencies, family breakdown), structural factors (lack of suitable and accessible housing, deinstitutionalisation, service failures), and poverty exacerbated by debt. Of this cohort, 62% described current debt, and $2.8million (NZD) of debt was estimated (average of $10000 per person). Debts to government agencies were common and significant, including to Work and Income NZ, student loans, court costs and Housing NZ. Conclusions Financial difficulty, and particularly debt, is an important tipping point into homelessness. High levels of debt exclude people from permanent housing and challenge policies and practices aiming to end homelessness. Furthermore, debt to government agencies - required to invest in homelessness prevention and support - is a systems and policy failure. Key messages Financial difficulties, specifically debt, and systems failures are important tipping points for vulnerable populations into homelessness Debts owed to government agencies by the homeless population provide an opportunity to reorient the system to support homelessness prevention.