Course Load: The Growing Burden of College Fees

March 29, 1:23 p.m.

Students and parents are learning their college fates this week and then having to address whether schools are actually affordable. They have their work cut out for them as college fees, often well-disguised, continue to explode.

Financial Aid Group Calls on Feds to Shore Up Lending to Parents

March 4, 2 p.m.

New Report Calls for More Grants to Low-Income Students, End to Federal Parent Loan Program

Jan. 30, 3:53 p.m.

The federal government must make a more substantial investment in direct aid to students and dramatically simplify the system of student loans, says a report by the New America Foundation.

Families Shoulder Heftier Burdens as College Debt Swells

Jan. 3, 11:38 a.m.

Student debt is putting a strain on students — and their parents. Meanwhile, federal programs to make student loans more affordable won’t bring relief to all.

For Grieving Father Struggling With Dead Son’s Student Debt, Resolution Comes Four Years Late

Dec. 19, 2012, 11:06 a.m.

A California gardener lost his son but was saddled with a crushing debt — and it was difficult even to learn who owned that debt. Four years later, he’s finally reached a legal resolution.

Another Way Student Loans Are Like Mortgages: Subpar Servicing

Oct. 24, 2012, 10:45 a.m.

The companies handling private student loans — much like those handling mortgages — sometimes add to the frustration and even the debt load of struggling borrowers.

Has Your Family Been Denied a Parent Plus Loan? Share Your Story With Us.

Oct. 19, 2012, 2:42 p.m.

How Financial Aid Letters Often Leave Students Confused and Misinformed

Oct. 16, 2012, 11:55 a.m.

The Department of Education has a model financial aid award letter. It’s very different from what schools are actually sending.

F.A.Q. on U.S. Aid to Egypt: Where Does the Money Go—And Who Decides How It’s Spent?

Oct. 9, 2012, 1:01 p.m.

As the protests in Egypt continue, we take a look at how much the U.S. has given to Egypt, who benefits, and what those billions have actually bought.

No Income? No Problem! How the Gov’t Is Saddling Parents with College Loans They Can’t Afford

Oct. 4, 2012, 8:22 p.m.

As college costs continue to climb, families are turning to federal Parent Plus loans to fill the gap. But with no checks on their ability to repay, many parents are left overburdened, and others set up for failure.

Banks’ Lending Frenzy Left Borrowers Buried in Student Debt, Report Details

July 20, 2012, 4:55 p.m.

In the run-up to the financial crisis, banks and other lenders made risky private student loans. In the years since, default rates have soared and borrowers are still suffering.

Timeline: How One College Student’s Private Loans Landed in a Swiss Bank, Then Fell Off the Map

June 14, 2012, 9:05 a.m.

Grieving Father Struggles to Pay Dead Son’s Student Loans

June 14, 2012, 9:05 a.m.

The father, a gardener who earns $21,000, co-signed for his son’s loans. Now, he can’t even find out who holds them.

Student Loan Borrowers Dazed and Confused by Servicer Shuffle

April 23, 2012, 1 p.m.

A little-known legal provision forces the federal government to award contracts to qualifying nonprofit student loan servicers, putting them in charge of managing millions of loans. The shuffle has thus far caused problems for some borrowers.

While White House Emphasizes Easing Student Debt Burden, Fed Contractors Play Hardball

March 29, 2012, 11:24 a.m.

President Obama has touted efforts to ease the burdens of student borrowers with federal loans, but some federally contracted collection agencies neglect to lay out borrowers’ best options.

School of Hard Knocks: Fed Education Data Shows Racial Disparities, Unequal Opportunity

March 6, 2012, 1:25 p.m.

Department of Education releases wide range of data on schools. ProPublica will clean, cross-check, and incorporate into our interactive schools app.

The Recess Appointment(s) Obama Hasn’t Made

Jan. 6, 2012, 2:35 p.m.

Still Waiting for Cleanup in Foreclosure Mess

Dec. 27, 2011, 10:56 a.m.

If last year was the year in which faulty foreclosures and bank errors became a full-blown scandal, this has been the year of waiting for something to be done about it.

Fight Over Obama’s Recess Appointments Puts Stranglehold on Key FinReg, Labor Nominees

Dec. 20, 2011, 2:39 p.m.

As winter recess approaches, Senate Republicans have been holding up certain uncontroversial appointments as a bargaining chip to prevent President Obama from other appointments in recess.