Affording college and how students loans are changing

Affording college and how students loans are changing

Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment management at UC, spoke with WVXU's Cincinnati Edition about UC's recently launched Bearcat Affordability Grant and changes in the federal government's Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.

The new grant at UC will provide a pathway to tuition-free college for students of families who make less than $75,000 per year. Beginning in fall 2026, the Bearcat Affordability Grant will cover the remaining cost of tuition for Ohio residents who are Pell eligible.

"Some of our brightest students who could have excelled at the University of Cincinnati but who absolutely couldn't afford college, it is allowing us to make that difference in increasing access," Miner told WVXU.

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter for The Washington Post also joined the discussion on Cincinnati Edition and weighed in on the impact of changes to the SAVE plan.

Douglas-Gabriel says the updated SAVE plan will impact student loan repayment for millions of student loan borrowers across the nation. The federal Department of Education is proposing moving roughly 8 million borrowers in the SAVE plan into other repayment plans that may likely lead to higher monthly payments.

"One of the things I always recommend is that the people who already have student loans, especially if they have been participating in the SAVE program that they absolutely reach out to their servicer," Miner told WVXU. "One of the things I think is people get overwhelmed with the information that is coming out about student loans and you only think about it impacting people taking out new loans or families taking out new loans.

"This is absolutely going to be something that will impact people who already have loans and in many cases have been satisfied and happy about the way that SAVE has impacted them over the last few years and this will upset the applecart of what their payment is," explains Miner. "One that frequently happens is people kind of put their heads in the sand and go dark, but with this one reach out to their servicer and have a conversation about what are their options and what kind of payment plan they can go into."

Miner says the change is in some ways shutting the door to college and for graduate and professional education. He says much of the dialogue on student loans is focusing on the student, but now with SAVE there are limits on what a parent can take out in terms of loans for a student.

"It's confusing and challenging when discussing affordability," says Miner.

Listen to the segment on WVXU online.

Featured top image of students in a lecture hall listening to a speaker at the University of Cincinnati. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.

Tags

• Ohio Impact
• Admissions
• College bound
• In The News
• City of Cincinnati