UW–Madison’s Nick Hillman, a professor with the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, shared his expertise with Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), the Capital Times, and three other local media outlets in response to the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.
Hillman is an expert in how finance, policy, and geography shape educational opportunities, and is the director of the university’s Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab.
According to WPR, “In a 6-3 vote, the court’s conservative majority ruled the president and his U.S. Department of Education Secretary did not have authority under the law to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt without the approval of Congress.”
Hillman told WPR there were thousands of borrowers behind on payments when they were suspended in March 2020.
“So during this pause, we’ve had kind of an artificial view of the significance of student loan repayment,” Hillman said. “And now we’re going to turn the system back on here in a few months, and we’re going to have the same exact problems all over again.”
Hillman also spoke with WPR about the effects of student loan debt on people of color in Wisconsin. “In Milwaukee, for example, some of the highest default rates in the country are in some of the zip codes in Milwaukee that have the highest percentage of people of color,” he explained.
In the Capital Times, Hillman advised loan borrowers to prepare to resume payments. “If you’re in a position to prepare financially, then now’s the time,” he said. “Everybody’s on the line. (To call it) a nightmare is probably an understatement.” Hillman also recommends that borrowers contact their student loan servicer before repayments begin to ensure they make payments on time or to find a repayment plan better suited for them.
Other local news sources where Hillman discussed this critical issue include NBC15, WKOW27, and WORT 89.9 FM.