Income-contingent student loans: Context, potential and limits

Abstract

Government reliance on student borrowing in financing postsecondary education varies greatly among countries. Nevertheless, some of the problems encountered, such as competing demands on public funds that undercut grant support or an excessive burden of debt on students, make consideration of the potential and limits inherent in the use of student loans a matter of common concern. The present article examines the role of undergraduate student loans within the context of an overall program for financial assistance. The emphasis is on placing realistic limits on individual debt burden while broadening the use of loans, consistent with encouraging access to postsecondary education and providing opportunity for choice of institution. To reduce risk and make borrowing in moderate amounts acceptable, loan programs are developed that combine income-paced repayment with provision, through ex post facto grants, for earlier discharge of repayment obligations than in alternative proposals. A model is developed for simulating borrowing and cumulative debt limits given the parameter values relevant to a country's situation. Results from using alternative parameter values are compared to authorized loan limits and to average amounts borrowed and cost of attendance for low-cost and higher-cost educational options, using U.S. data by way of illustration.