American Students Know Almost Nothing About Their College Loans

Re:American Students Know Almost Nothing About Their College... by harryh on Wednesday February 03, 2016 @05:09PM (#11030209)

1) Loans are priced based on their risk! Saying student loans are actually less risky than lower priced loans IS saying that they are overpriced.

2) You are correct that most student loans are financed by government programs. That allows them to undercut even the viciously competing private market because the government isn't trying to make a profit. So that makes the loans even cheaper which makes your assertion that they're overpriced more, not less, ridiculous.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:American Students Know Almost Nothing About Their College... by unprepare on Thursday February 04, 2016 @07:35AM (#11033558)

Congress sets the rate for federal student loans, they are not based on their risk.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:American Students Know Almost Nothing About Their College... by unprepare on Thursday February 04, 2016 @10:43AM (#11034638)

To whomever is downvoting my comment:

>Rather, pricing and loan limits are politically determined by Congress

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_loans_in_the_United_St...

>Who sets interest rates for federal student loans?

>Interest rates on federal student loans are set by Congress.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/interest-rates

Also, there have been several bills proposed to congress to lower the loan rates, and to allow refinancing of existing loan rates. Anyone saying federal loan rates are determined by some actuary calculating risk is plainly wrong.

[ Parent | on HN ]