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Student debt and hardship: Evidence from a large sample of low- and moderate-income households

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  • Despard, Mathieu R.
  • Perantie, Dana
  • Taylor, Samuel
  • Grinstein-Weiss, Michal
  • Friedline, Terri
  • Raghavan, Ramesh

Abstract

Student debt has risen in recent years as higher education costs have shifted to students and their families, particularly those with low-to-moderate incomes (LMI). Though a college degree continues to convey higher earnings, those who finance their degrees have lower net worth and greater financial difficulties than persons without student debt. We assess the relationship between student debt and material and health care hardship among a large sample (n=5558) of LMI tax filers, using propensity score analysis to adjust for self-selection into student debt status and loan amount and monthly payment quartiles. We find that participants with student debt have a higher likelihood of hardship. Loan amounts only partially predict hardship, and borrowers making current loan payments are at lower odds for hardship than non-payers. We also find that among those with student debt, non-payers and those without college degrees have much greater social and economic disadvantages.

Suggested Citation

  • Despard, Mathieu R. & Perantie, Dana & Taylor, Samuel & Grinstein-Weiss, Michal & Friedline, Terri & Raghavan, Ramesh, 2016. "Student debt and hardship: Evidence from a large sample of low- and moderate-income households," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 8-18.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:70:y:2016:i:c:p:8-18
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.09.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Robin Henager & Sophia T. Anong & Joyce Serido & Soyeon Shim, 2021. "Does Financial Satisfaction Vary Depending on the Funding Strategy Used to Pay for College?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 429-448, September.
    2. Jason Jabbari & Mathieu Despard & Olga Kondratjeva & Brinda Gupta & Michal Grinstein-Weiss, 2023. "Nothing to show for it: Financial Distress and Re-Enrollment Aspirations for those with non-degreed debt," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(1), pages 1-32, February.
    3. Jinhee Kim & Swarn Chatterjee, 2019. "Student Loans, Health, and Life Satisfaction of US Households: Evidence from a Panel Study," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 36-50, March.
    4. Thomas Korankye & Charlene M. Kalenkoski, 2021. "The Effect of Households’ Student Debt on Life Satisfaction," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 757-772, December.

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