The fact that student debt continues to soar is troubling enough. Now there is clear evidence that it also deepens the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
The debt-free college initiative is based on a plan sketched out by liberal think tank Demos. It calls for the federal government to award grants to states that increase spending on higher education and increase need-based grant aid.
"We're at a really interesting and troubling point where student debt has become sort of normalized," Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at the think tank Demos, told Mic. "Tuition used to be low enough and grant aid used to be high enough that total cost of attendance at higher university was manageable with a summer job."
A low unemployment rate doesn't always mean everyone who wants to work has a fair chance to do so. Read our latest analysis to learn why looking beyond the headline numbers is essential to understanding the health of the labor market.
When governments use the power of the purse to create good jobs, workers, families, and communities benefit. Strong labor standards raise wages, improve job quality, and expand economic stability—helping build a more equitable economy for all.
A policy agenda for building a just, inclusive multiracial democracy and economy where everyone has the power to shape the rules that govern their lives.
In our latest analysis, we look beyond the headline unemployment rate to examine declining labor force participation, with particular attention to Black women, whose participation has fallen sharply in recent months.
