"Degrees of Debt" in The NY Times

At nearly $17K, Rutgers Students Still Have Less Debt than Many Others

"Debt Collectors Cashing in on Student Loans" in today's New York Times is the fourth article in their powerful series "Degrees of Debt," which puts a human face on the statistically terrible toll that privatization has had on this generation of college students.  The reporting by Andrew Martin and Ron Lieber is first-rate, and I would not be surprised to see their timely series nominated for a Pullitzer.  Previous pieces include:

• A Generation Hobbled by the Soaring Cost of College
• Slowly, as Student Debt Rises, Colleges Confront the Cost
• When the Price of Shedding Student Debt is Hopelessness

Most impressive is the interactive graphic that accompanies the series, which shows Student Debt at Colleges and Universities Across the Nation.  According to the graphic, Rutgers students are not doing too badly, even though Rutgers tuition and fees are among the highest for public schools.  But the average graduate in 2010 still had $16,766 in debt, which is quite a burden given the economy.  Meanwhile, in their graphic "Bad Student Debt Stubbornly High as Collection Efforts Surge" we see just how bad the default rate is at for-profit schools (our focus in next week's discussion).