Student debt: how universities can share the risk and how parents and kids should talk about it

Guests: Douglas Webber and Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Paying for college has emerged as an important campaign issue in the 2016 presidential race as over 40 million Americans are dealing with student loan debt that’s worth about $1.2 trillion. Democrats have been focusing on reducing the cost of college and even making it free. Republicans are talking more about reforming the higher education system. But there’s one proposal that has gained traction on both sides of the aisle. It’s about making colleges and universities share the risk when their students default on loans. We’ll talk with Temple University economics professor DOUGLAS WEBBER about how institutions of higher learning can take more responsibility when it comes to reducing college debt. Then, how and why parents and students should talk about what they can afford when it comes to college with LYNN O’SHAUGHNESSY, author of The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price.