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Parental Support, Savings, and Student Loan Repayment

Author

Listed:
  • Lance Lochner
  • Todd Stinebrickner
  • Utku Suleymanoglu

Abstract

Using unique survey and administrative data from Canada, we document that parental support and personal savings substantially reduce student loan repayment problems. Developing a model of student borrowing and repayment, we show that nonmonetary costs of applying for income-based repayment assistance are critical to understanding our findings. Furthermore, we show that eliminating these costs may be inefficient. Empirically, we show that expanding Canada's Repayment Assistance Plan to automatically cover all borrowers could reduce program revenue by half over early repayment years. Finally, we show how student loan programs can be more efficiently designed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lance Lochner & Todd Stinebrickner & Utku Suleymanoglu, 2021. "Parental Support, Savings, and Student Loan Repayment," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 329-371, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:13:y:2021:i:1:p:329-71
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20180401
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert J. Gary-Bobo & Alain Trannoy, 2015. "Optimal student loans and graduate tax under moral hazard and adverse selection," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 46(3), pages 546-576, September.
    2. Brad Hershbein & Kevin M. Hollenbeck (ed.), 2015. "Student Loans and the Dynamics of Debt," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number sldd, November.
    3. Lance J. Lochner & Alexander Monge-Naranjo, 2014. "Default and Repayment Among Baccalaureate Degree Earners," University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP) Working Papers 20141, University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP).
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    5. Satyajit Chatterjee & Felicia Ionescu, 2012. "Insuring student loans against the financial risk of failing to complete college," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 3(3), pages 393-420, November.
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    7. Lance Lochner & Todd Stinebrickner & Utky Suleymanoglu, 2013. "The Importance of Financial Resources for Student Loan Repayment," University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP) Working Papers 20137, University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP).
    8. Lance Lochner & Youngki Shin, 2014. "Understanding Earnings Dynamics: Identifying and Estimating the Changing Roles of Unobserved Ability, Permanent and Transitory Shocks," NBER Working Papers 20068, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Nerlove, Marc L, 1975. "Some Problems in the Use of Income-contingent Loans for the Finance of Higher Education," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 83(1), pages 157-183, February.
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    11. Greg Kaplan, 2012. "Moving Back Home: Insurance against Labor Market Risk," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 120(3), pages 446-512.
    12. Flávio Cunha & James Heckman, 2016. "Decomposing Trends in Inequality in Earnings into Forecastable and Uncertain Components," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(S2), pages 31-65.
    13. Schwartz, S. & Finnie, R., 2002. "Student loans in Canada: an analysis of borrowing and repayment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 497-512, October.
    14. Dynarski, Mark, 1994. "Who defaults on student loans? Findings from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 55-68, March.
    15. Robert A. Moffitt & Peter Gottschalk, 2012. "Trends in the Transitory Variance of Male Earnings: Methods and Evidence," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(1), pages 204-236.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Belzil & Arnaud Maurel & Modibo Sidibé, 2021. "Estimating the Value of Higher Education Financial Aid: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(2), pages 361-395.
    2. Mallick Hossain & Igor Livshits & Collin Wardius, 2023. "Not Cashing In on Cashing Out: An Analysis of Low Cash-Out Refinance Rates," Working Papers 23-04, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    3. V. Joseph Hotz & Emily E. Wiemers & Joshua Rasmussen & Kate Maxwell Koegel, 2018. "The Role of Parental Wealth and Income in Financing Children's College Attendance and Its Consequences," NBER Working Papers 25144, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Lance Lochner & Qian Liu & Martin Gervais, 2021. "Innis Lecture: Returns on student loans in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(4), pages 1495-1524, November.
    5. Belzil, Christian & Hansen, Jörgen & Liu, Xingfei, 2022. "The Evolution of Inequality in Education Trajectories and Graduation Outcomes in the US," IZA Discussion Papers 15338, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Michael Boutros & Nuno Clara & Francisco Gomes, 2023. "Borrow Now, Pay Even Later: A Quantitative Analysis of Student Debt Payment Plans," Staff Working Papers 23-54, Bank of Canada.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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