Student debt was the subject of a talk at the University of Kentucky’s Singletary Center Thursday night.
NPR lead education blogger Anya Kamenetz spoke to a large crowd of students, faculty and staff about the increasing costs of higher education. She’s worked on the issue for over a decade, having written the 2006 book Generation Debt, and was a featured commentator in the 2014 film Ivory Tower.
“It’s finally coming to the forefront, I think, in this presidential cycle where there’s so much more awareness of the $1.3 trillion in student loans that students collectively have and the onus on families to pay for college,” she said.
Kamenetz outlined the factors that have been increasing the costs of higher education, such as a greater focus on perks and declining state support for public universities. In addition, she focused strongly on practical advice for how college students can better survive in the current job market. Topics ranged from careers not easily replaced by automation to the importance of effective self-marketing. Kamenetz says the key is adaptation.
“I still do believe that a college degree offers a very good value and it helps students fulfill their goals and so they just need to be a bit smarter about how they go about it,” she said.
More of Kamenetz’s work can be found online at NPR and her personal website.
