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For Young Latinos, Student Loans Could Be Hot-Button Issue in 2016 Campaign

While Latinos acquire slightly less student-loan debt than their white counterparts, on average $49,700 as opposed to $54,000, this does not mean that they are in any better position when – or if – they finish school. Many Latinos opt to work through college instead of taking on a large debt burden, Maldonado said, and that leads to a longer amount of time spent in school and a lower chance of actually graduating.

According to statistics from the public policy organization Demos, 31 percent of Latino students drop out of college.

In the media
Andrew O'Reilly

How the Retail Industry Maintains Racial Inequality

A new paper from the think tank Demos and the NAACP examines race in the retail industry, finding major inequities between black and Latino workers on the one hand and their white counterparts on the other.

In the media
Sue Sturgis

Black Students Are Screwed the Most When It Comes to Student Debt

Nationally, the data demonstrates a vicious cycle of debt eroding future wealth creation, which can lead to more debt for future generations. According to a report by the think tank Demos, the effects of exorbitant student debt can linger long after college, with the average debt burden potentially costing grads more than $200,000 of lifetime earnings.

In the media
Jon Levine

Hillary Clinton Plans to Make College Affordability a Central Issue of Her Campaign

The progressive think tank Demos, which has been a leading voice in the progressive policy conversation and, according to Politico, has been consulted by Clinton's team, has laid out some ideas that could influence the agenda that Clinton unveils.

In the media
Zeeshan Aleem

The New Progressive Plan for Debt-Free College, Explained

The most specific plan for debt-free college so far comes from Demos, a progressive think tank. It defines a "debt-free" degree as a degree students could pay for by working 10 hours per week at minimum wage while enrolled in college. That means students' cost of attendance not covered by grants and scholarships, including books, tuition, and living expenses, couldn't exceed about $2,500 per year.   Demos calls for the federal government to help states shoulder the cost of higher education.
In the media
Libby Nelson

Debt-Free College' Is Democrats' New Rallying Cry

The push for debt-free college began last September, when Demos, a liberal think tank, issued a plan that would make college debt-free for low- and middle-income families in some states, at a cost of around $30 billion. Four months later the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, or PCCC, began a campaign to press the Democratic candidates to back the idea.   [...]
In the media
Kelly Field

The Supreme Court's Misplaced Ruling on 401(k) Plans

Last month, the Supreme Court effectively expanded employers’ responsibility for the performance of the funds in their 401(k) plans, ruling that employers must regularly monitor the investment options in their plan and remove funds with high fees or poor returns. The ruling’s goal, protecting retirement savers from high fees and poor performance, is both admirable and desperately needed.

Blog
Robert Hiltonsmith

Blacks ‘Segregated’ in Low-Paying Retail Jobs

More than 1.9 million Black Americans work in retail, accounting for 11 percent of the industry’s total workforce. Despite being the second-largest source of employment for Black workers, new data from the NAACP and equality advocacy organization, Demos, finds that the industry is rife with racial inequality and poor earning potential.

In the media
Jazelle Hunt

Debt Free College Should Be Debt-Free

Simply put, debt-free college means that every student in America, regardless of their financial means, should be able to attend a public college or university and graduate without student debt.

In the media
Mark Huelsman