The land of higher education teeters on the brink, as a winter of student debt threatens to sweep down upon it from a white wall of loans. Yet hope endures, for a “Stark” contrast has emerged: Pay It Forward.
Today, 7 in 10 students are graduating with an average $29,400 in debt, making them less likely to own homes, buy cars, graduate with a STEM degree, and spur economic growth.
EOI’s Pay It Forward plan offers no upfront tuition while attending college – instead, students contribute a small percentage of post-college income, so they graduate with a degree and less debt.
It would work on top of other financial aid rewards and scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition. Students contribute 1% of their annual income for each year of college attendance, for 20 years. That’s just $89 a month for an recent graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, or $23 a month for someone with an Associate degree. And the contributions go to a state trust fund to pay for the next cohort of students.