Research

Working Paper
Education Research and Policy

Waivers for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Who Would Benefit from Takeup?

Authors: Sarah Turner, Diego A. Briones, Nathaniel Ruby

This research identifies more than $100 billion in loan forgiveness available to as many as 3.5 million borrowers through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver program. Potential beneficiaries of this initiative are disproportionately employed in occupations like teaching and health care. However, the distribution of potential benefits of the PSLF waiver depends critically on the extent to which those with high income or advanced degrees are differentially likely to take-up benefits conditional on eligibility.

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Published Research
Health Policy and Research

Estimated Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Clinically Significant Anxiety and Depression Among US Adults During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors: Christopher J. Ruhm, Ronald C. Kessler, Victor Puac-Polanco

How much did clinically significant anxiety and depression increase among US adults during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic? In this survey study of more than 1.4 million respondents in the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, responses to a screening question calibrated to a 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire score of 6 or greater suggested that aggregate prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression increased only modestly overall among US adults in 2020 compared with 2017 to 2019.

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Published Research
Research in Social Psychology

Gender Differences in Law School Classroom Participation: The Key Role of Social Context

Authors: Sophie Trawalter, Molly Bishop Shadel, J.H. Verkerke

Even though women make up roughly half of the students enrolled in law school today, they do not take up roughly half of the speaking time in law school classes. We found that women, more than men, report backlash for speaking in class, and this difference affects their willingness to participate in the law school classroom.

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Published Research
Education Research and Policy

Unfinished Business? Academic and Labor Market Profile of Adults With Substantial College Credits But No Degree

Authors: Benjamin Castleman, Kelli Bird, Brett Fischer, Benjamin T. Skinner

Using data from the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), this case provides the first detailed profile on the academic, employment, and earnings trajectories of the SCND population and how these compare with VCCS graduates. The scholars show that the share of SCND students who are academically ready to re-enroll and would benefit from doing so may be substantially lower than policy makers anticipate.

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