Headwinds for graduate student borrowers: Rising balances and slowing repayment rates - Vivien Lee and Adam Looney, Brookings

The expansion in credit availability and other factors have led to a worrisome increase in loan burdens, the entry of new institutions and graduate offerings, and worsening repayment outcomes, trends that parallel the deteriorating outcomes among undergraduate borrowers. For instance: Graduate students’ average annual borrowing amount has almost doubled over the past 30 years. The composition of borrowers has changed, with more graduate students attending for- profit schools Default rates[1] are relatively higher among for-profit graduate borrowers, and have been increasing across the board, but especially among borrowers at for-profit schools. The overall default rate among graduate borrowers is rising both because of rising rates within sectors but also because of the shift in enrollment to the for-profit sector. https://www.brookings.edu/research/headwinds-for-graduate-student-borrowers-rising-balances-and-slowing-repayment-rates/