Dear Commons Community,

The issue of student debt and the affordability of college tuition increasingly is being scrutinized among policy makers and the media.  The topic was the focus of a recent PBS Need to Know telecast.  The reference below was passed on by colleagues, John Wallach and Manfred Kuechler at Hunter College.  A full video of the program  is available at:  http://watch.thirteen.org/video/2195311651

Tony

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To the Hunter College Community:

Last night, on the Channel 13 show “Need to Know” hosted by Ray Suarez, there was a story on mounting student debt.  The show itself was just okay, as Ray Suarez didn’t ask the best questions–such as why tuition has gone up at public universities (because of declining support from state governments–also not mentioned by President Obama in his State of the Union address which generically criticized high tuition at “colleges and universities”).  But the lead-off segment and bright thread through the story was an interview with a Hunter alum who has struggled with student debt–especially because of unjustifiable interest charges and fees from Sallie Mae (a private lender to students).  She was the best part of the show, and (unintentionally) made Hunter proud.

I tried to link Hunter-L to the story, but either it wouldn’t take or the story has not yet been archived–probably because it’s being aired again this morning, at 9:30.

Chrs, John.