Dr. Sandy Baum Shares Student Debt and Tuition Research With Colorado Legislators, Policymakers, and Higher Education Leaders

On Jan. 31, 2020, approximately 100 attendees — including legislators, policymakers, and higher education leaders — gathered for a luncheon with Dr. Sandy Baum, the nation’s foremost expert on student debt and tuition. The luncheon was hosted by Colorado State University Chancellor Tony Frank in partnership with President Mark Kennedy of the CU System and President Joe Garcia at the Colorado Community College System.

A frequent speaker at major national conferences, Dr. Baum is also regularly sought out by various media outlets, including Fortune, The Washington Post, and Inside Higher Ed, for her insights and non-partisan, data-based perspective. She is the principle researcher on the Urban Institute’s website on college affordability, and her recent work includes Urban Institute briefs on Federal Work Study, Parent PLUS loans, and college endowments. She is the author of “Student Debt: Rhetoric and Realities of Higher Education Financing” (Palgrave Macmillan 2016) and co-author of “Making College Work: Pathways to Success for Disadvantaged Students” (Brookings Institution Press 2017). 

At the luncheon, Dr. Baum shared her research and answered questions that can help inform Colorado’s statewide discussions on important topics like education funding, student debt, and on the importance of helping students complete their program and benefit from the outcomes.

“Education is not affordable if it doesn’t help students achieve their goals,” Dr. Baum stated.  “Affordability depends not just on the price and the resources in your pocket at the time you enroll in college, but it depends on the resources available to you before, during, and after college.”

Learn more about CSU Global commitment to affordability here and learn more about the importance of return on investment in a college education here.