Blog Post #4: Research Proposal

Daniel Coogan

Professor Goeller

Research in Disciplines: College!

Research Proposal  

Is the Reward of College Worth the Risk of Debt?

Topic:

With the increasing cost of college and the reduction in the amount of the cost per student covered by the government, individual student loans have become the main method of paying for college. Even with the increasing reliance on student loans, many borrowers are still not truly aware of how their loans work or in some cases, how much they will have to pay off in the end. The lack of information given to students taking loans results in a generation of borrowers who don’t even understand how much debt they are taking on, going on the blind assumption that they will be able to pay it back after finishing a college education. However the number of borrowers who do not easily pay off their loans is not as low as many think.

Research Question:

If individuals were properly educated about the true costs of college and how often individuals have issues paying off those costs, would they still find the benefits of higher education to outweigh those costs.

Theoretical Frame:

I theorize that the information given to many students is not sufficient for them to make truly educated decisions on the costs versus the benefits of college. I believe that the actual information on loans and borrowers ability to pay them back is not presented to the individuals that it directly impacts.  While the concept of costs versus benefits of college are important to this paper, the main theory I intend to present is that the education of borrowers is insufficient for them to make responsible decisions regarding student loans and their choice of school for higher education.

Research Plan:

The obvious questions presented are, “Are borrowers presented with enough information to make educated decisions?”, “What are the possible risks of taking out large loans?”, and “Are the benefits of a college education worth these risks?”. One avenue of research is finding information on the amount of borrowers who have difficulties paying their loans back and sources that describe information that would allow borrowers to make more responsible decisions regarding loans. Another avenue of further research would be finding information on programs that attempt to educate them on the risks involved. A possible avenue of research is investigating if schools themselves educate their students about the impact of these loans.