Daily Lumina News 120821

Americans carry roughly $1.6 trillion in overall student debt. In fact, the dollar amount of outstanding student loans in the United States is second only to mortgage debt.
Authors Beth Akers and Josh Mitchell tackle the state of student debt and college affordability on this podcast.

In a sea of declining enrollment numbers at community colleges across America, Odessa College is bucking the trend.
College officials attribute their enrollment success to several key changes, including new student success initiatives, investments in infrastructure, eight-week course schedules geared toward adult learners, and creative partnerships with local employers.

A hold on a student's transcript can be a major obstacle in a student’s pathway—and a block to re-enrollment. It can follow a person around for a long time, limiting educational, career, even licensure opportunities.
Beginning this month, a promising new pilot from Ithaka S+R and eight Ohio public institutions hopes to change this losing situation into a win-win.

In a matter of months, almost 43 million borrowers must resume making payments on their student loans.
The return to repayment ends the two-year pause created by the CARES Act. Some advocates worry that the unclear planning around what is expected of servicers may be a sign that borrowers will have difficulty getting the help they need to stay on top of loan repayments or fix servicer errors.