History of federal student loans with Elizabeth Tandy Shermer

In 2025, 45 million Americans owe more than $1.7 trillion in college debt. Ellie Shermer explains: “the story of skyrocketing college debt is not merely one of good intentions gone wrong. In fact, the federal student loan program was never supposed to make college affordable.” 

References mentioned this episode:

• Elizabeth Tandy Shermer. 2021. Indentured Students: How Government-Guaranteed Loans Left Generations Drowning in College Debt. Harvard University Press.
• Education Data Initiative statistics on student debt
• Get involved with our friends at the Debt Collective to cancel student debt
• Shermer’s Bluesky
• William C. Mao and Veronica H. Paulus. May 2, 2025. Harvard University Press Employees Say Director Drove Down Acquisitions and Morale. Harvard Crimson.

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