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Risk-Sharing in Higher Education: A Policy Proposal

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  • Webber, Douglas A.

    (Federal Reserve Board of Governors)

Abstract

As concerns over growing levels of student loan debt continue to mount for both students and taxpayers, many have called for an improved accountability system in the U.S. higher education system. In this policy brief, I discuss the many flaws in our current system, and outline how a system known as “risk-sharing” could drastically improve incentives and outcomes. I present a framework for how risk-sharing could be structured, and illustrate the distributional impacts (both positive and negative) across the higher education landscape.

Suggested Citation

  • Webber, Douglas A., 2018. "Risk-Sharing in Higher Education: A Policy Proposal," IZA Policy Papers 141, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izapps:pp141
    as

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    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/pp141.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Webber, Douglas A. & Ehrenberg, Ronald G., 2010. "Do expenditures other than instructional expenditures affect graduation and persistence rates in American higher education?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 947-958, December.
    2. Webber, Douglas A., 2015. "Are College Costs Worth It? How Individual Ability, Major Choice, and Debt Affect Optimal Schooling Decisions," IZA Discussion Papers 8767, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Webber, Douglas A., 2016. "Are college costs worth it? How ability, major, and debt affect the returns to schooling," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 296-310.
    4. Webber, Douglas A., 2014. "The lifetime earnings premia of different majors: Correcting for selection based on cognitive, noncognitive, and unobserved factors," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 14-23.
    5. Webber, Douglas A., 2017. "Risk-sharing and student loan policy: Consequences for students and institutions," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Webber, Douglas A., 2012. "Expenditures and postsecondary graduation: An investigation using individual-level data from the state of Ohio," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 615-618.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    higher education; accountability; risk sharing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • 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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