For workers who are employed in public service activities in both the government and non-profit sectors the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, established in 2007, is intended to provide debt relief of outstanding student loan debt of remaining balances after 10 years of qualifying employment and repayment under an income driven program. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program now represents one of the largest targeted debt relief initiatives in U.S. history, with over $74 billion in forgiveness provided to more than 1 million borrowers through PSLF (White House, 2024). This project uses survey data and credit bureau data to measure how debt relief impacts other borrowing (auto, home, credit card) and job choice. [A related project will do surveys to explore how well student borrowers understand PSLF]
Professor Sarah Turner is seeking detail-oriented undergraduate Research Assistants to join a research team focused on the economics of higher education economics, with particular attention to student loan and financial aid policy. RAs will contribute to projects including:
• Measuring student understanding of loans and repayment options to develop interventions improving outcomes
• Analyzing how institutional financial aid impacts enrollment decisions
• Studying behavioral implications of income-based repayment policies (including the SAVE program)
• Using large datasets from credit bureaus to evaluate loan cancellation impacts
What to Expect
This position balances engaging analytical work with necessary research tasks like data entry, table preparation, and proofreading. While not every task will be glamorous, the experience provides valuable training in research methodologies and potential opportunities for co-authorship. The team includes experienced undergraduate RAs and graduate students who will also provide mentorship.
Required Qualifications
• Successfully completed ECON 2010 with excellent performance (1st year students with Calculus/Stats experience and enrolled in ECON 2010 are also welcome to apply)
• Strong quantitative skills
• Programming experience (any language); knowledge of Stata or willingness to learn
• Detail-oriented with strong problem-solving abilities
• Interest in economic research and data analysis
• Availability to work at least 8 hours per week through the end of the semester
* Work on a research team with other undergraduate / graduate research assistants
* Basic statistical / econometric programming with an eye to understanding quantitative social science
* How to express results in writing, tables and figures with particular attention to accuracy and consistency