{"id":82255,"date":"2025-04-09T14:55:36","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T18:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=82255"},"modified":"2025-10-09T21:54:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T01:54:34","slug":"making-student-loan-programs-fair","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/articles\/2025\/making-student-loan-programs-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Student Loan Programs Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin news-block-editorial-leadin is-style-emphasis-on-text has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-dark-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"a group of graduates tossing their caps into the air\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-900x506.png 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1500x844.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-500x281.png 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-992x558.png 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1000x563.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1628x916.png 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1600x900.png 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1366x768.png 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-1280x720.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2025\/04\/Research-Photos-854x480.png 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-50\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Higher Education<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaking Student Loan Programs Fair\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">A study is exploring ways to better educate students and families about their borrowing options<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar news-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">April 9, 2025<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-comments\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"#comments\" class=\"wp-prepress-component-comment-counter label has-no-comments\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-comment-counter-zero\"><span>0<\/span><\/span><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/authors\/julia-fernandez\/\">Julia Faustino Fernandez<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Jerry Whitmore Junior BU Wheelock\" class=\"wp-image-59219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2018\/06\/Jerry-Whitmore-Jr-e1701802914865-710x710.jpg 710w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption>Jerry Whitmore, Jr. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Education Data Initiative, there are around 42.7 million students who have federal loan debt, which totals approximately $1.7 trillion. To understand some of the complex issues facing these students, BU Wheelock\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/jerry-whitmore-jr\/\">Jerry Whitmore, Jr<\/a>., is studying debt forgiveness programs and state initiatives that people may not be aware about. His study is also looking into the accessibility of these programs and how they can reach historically marginalized groups. His ultimate goal is to address systemic inequities in access to higher education and financial stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLoan forgiveness programs should not serve as a mere band-aid for the growing issues related to tuition hikes. Instead, policies should prioritize the question: \u2018What is the most effective way to support families who require financial assistance for higher education at market rates?\u2019\u201d says Whitmore, an assistant professor of higher education administration. He also co-directs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/fairstudentloans\/\">FAIR Student Loans<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/nina-cesare\/\">Nina Cesare<\/a> of the BU School of Public Health. We spoke to Whitmore to further understand the inequities that surround federal loan forgiveness programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a news-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\">with Jerry Whitmore, Jr. <\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">BU Wheelock:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">You\u2019re studying loan forgiveness programs. What is the challenge you\u2019re hoping to address?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jerry Whitmore:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">The primary aim of this work is to educate families about student loan debt and to draw policymakers&#8217; attention to actionable solutions backed by rigorous research and data.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">BU Wheelock:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">What barriers do borrowers face in accessing or qualifying for debt forgiveness programs?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jerry Whitmore:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One of the biggest obstacles to accessing or qualifying for various programs is simply being aware of their existence. Our research team discovered that many states have programs that are difficult to locate. While some programs are listed in legislative documents, others lack up-to-date information online. This issue is particularly significant because borrowers often confuse state forgiveness programs with federal ones. For example, when it comes to qualifications, many state programs require residents to have lived in the state for a certain period or to have completed a specified amount of service to the state. In contrast, the qualifications for federal programs have been changing frequently in recent years, particularly for options such as income-driven repayment (IDR) and public service loan forgiveness (PSLF).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">BU Wheelock:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">What policy changes or improvements do you think could make these programs more equitable?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jerry Whitmore:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Currently, my team and I are investigating what effective solutions should look like. At the very least, we hope to see policy improvements that address the widening wealth gap in our country. Loan forgiveness programs should not serve as a mere band-aid for the growing issues related to tuition hikes. Instead, policies should prioritize the question: &#8220;What is the most effective way to support families who require financial assistance for higher education at market rates?&#8221; Collaboration between state and federal governments is crucial in this endeavor. Currently, there is a lack of cooperation among states, the federal government, and individual universities on how to effectively identify and assist those in need. Our process relies heavily on a student&#8217;s parental income level, which does not provide a comprehensive view of a student&#8217;s needs or the support they may receive from their families throughout their educational years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">BU Wheelock:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">What long-term financial and social impacts do these programs have on borrowers?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jerry Whitmore:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I\u2019m currently working on a paper and will be attending a conference later this month. Our focus is on quality of life, which encompasses aspects like homeownership, health insurance, career prospects, and financial stability. As a recipient of the program, I became a first-time homeowner within a year of having my loans forgiven.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">BU Wheelock:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">How do debt forgiveness initiatives influence access to higher education for future generations?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jerry Whitmore:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Currently, we lack solid data on how forgiveness programs impact accessibility for borrowers. It&#8217;s essential to recognize that many borrowers may only become aware of these programs after they have already enrolled. Families, along with high school guidance counselors, often base college financial decisions on what is immediately available or guaranteed upfront. Typically, loan forgiveness programs are tied to the type of degree a student earns upon graduation. Furthermore, we know that over 30% of students will change their major at least once during their college career.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-two news-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1080\" height=\"700\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"male student raising his hand in class as class looks on\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34-900x583.png 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34-768x498.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34-500x324.png 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34-992x643.png 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2024\/02\/Photos-34-1000x648.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Social Studies<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/articles\/2024\/promoting-equity-and-diversity-in-the-classroom\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Promoting Equity and Diversity in the Classroom<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">February 5, 2024<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Shows a professor teaching a class of graduate students\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-992x661.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-1984x1322.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/01\/Higher-Ed-Administration-BU-Wheelock-2023-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Higher Education &amp; Education Policy<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/articles\/2023\/3-benefits-of-a-masters-degree-in-higher-education-administration\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">3 Benefits of a Master\u2019s Degree in Higher Education Administration<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 11, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the Education Data Initiative, there are around 42.7 million students who have federal loan debt, which totals approximately $1.7 trillion. To understand some of the complex issues facing these students, BU Wheelock\u2019s Jerry Whitmore, Jr., is studying debt forgiveness programs and state initiatives that people may not be aware about. His study is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18489,"featured_media":82304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Higher Education","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[7165,5703,7162],"bu-publication":[6614],"magazine-article-category":[],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[6766,6646],"news-topic":[6789],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/82255"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82255"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/82255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84775,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/82255\/revisions\/84775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=82255"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=82255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}