4 Experts Available for Analysis on Supreme Court Student Debt Cases
Today the Supreme Court is set to hear two cases dealing with the Biden Administration's one-time student loan forgiveness initiative. Biden v Nebraska and Department of Education v Brown both question the legality of Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt.
For reporters covering the impact of these cases for federal borrowers, the following university-based experts are available to provide commentary and analysis.
Addo's recent work examines debt and wealth inequality with a focus on family and relationships and higher education, and union formation and economic strain as a social determinant of health and well-being. Widely published in academic journals and policy outlets, her work on racial disparities in student debt, older Black women and wealth, and the Millennial racial wealth gap reflects her interests in bridging social demography with economic inequality, and sheds light on the ways that societal inequalities stem from historical legacies of racial exclusion and discrimination, and how they get reproduced over time.
Kuperberg's research focuses on student loans and impacts on graduates. In this research she generally uses quantitative data analysis techniques to analyze large surveys, and draw upon demographic and feminist research methods. Overarching themes in Kuperberg's writings include recent social change in young adulthood, families, relationships, and economic challenges faced by Millennials and Gen Z.
In her research, Mazelis focuses on student loan debt and the transition to adulthood. Mazelis is currently engaged in a research project funded by the National Science Foundation, “A New Class Divide: Student Loans and the Transition to Adulthood,” with collaborator Arielle Kuperberg, Associate Professor at University of North Carolina-Greensboro. This is a mixed methods research project exploring the role of student loan debt in the college experience and future aspirations and expectations of graduating seniors, with a longitudinal component examining their transition out of college.
Perna is an expert in college access, affordability, and success, especially for low-income, first-generation, and non-traditional students. The co-founder of Penn GSE’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (Penn AHEAD), she has testified before Congress and advised university leaders and policymakers.