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BA

Beth Akers

Series

Federalist Radio Hour1 episodeHubwonk2 episodesMadison’s Notes2 episodes

Recent Episodes

Federalist Radio Hour
Federalist Radio Hour

Are Layoffs The Beginning Of The Education Department’s End?

On this episode of "The Federalist Radio Hour," Beth Akers, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Federalist Senior Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's decision weighing in on the Trump administration's plans to gut the Department of Education. Akers and Kittle also analyze what it would take to fully dismantle or at least check the taxpayer-funded education arm of the federal bureaucracy.
Host:
Matt Kittle
Organization
The Federalist

March 2023

Madison’s Notes
Madison’s Notes

BONUS EPISODE: Returning to Truth, Fiction, and Student Loan Forgiveness: A Conversation with Beth Akers

REPOSTED FROM OCTOBER: With the Supreme Court finally discussing President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, it's a great time for anyone who missed it to check out our previous episode on the economics of student loan forgiveness! Dr. Beth Akers, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who specializes in higher education finance, discusses the economics of student debt, and what the Biden relief plan will and will not achieve. You can find more information about Dr. Akers and her recent writing and appearances here: https://www.aei.org/profile/beth-akers/
Host:
Annika Nordquist

October 2022

Madison’s Notes
Madison’s Notes

Truth, Fiction, and Student Loan Forgiveness: A Conversation with Beth Akers

With the Biden Administration's student loan relief coming down the pike, Annika sits down with Dr. Beth Akers, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who specializes in higher education finance. Beth discusses the issue of student debt, and what the Biden relief plan will and will not achieve. You can find more information about Dr. Akers and her recent writing and appearances here.
Host:
Annika Nordquist

September 2022

Hubwonk
Hubwonk

Gargantuan Graduation Gift: Biden Writes Check From Taxpayers To College Grads

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with Dr. Beth Akers, AEI Senior Fellow, about the recent presidential executive order to cancel an estimated $500 billion in outstanding student debt. They explore who benefits, who pays, and the likely effects on tuition and the borrowing habits of future students. Guest: Elizabeth “Beth” Akers is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she focuses on the economics of higher education. Before joining AEI, she worked as a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a visiting research scholar at the Federal Reserve Board, a fellow at Brookings Institution, and a staff economist at the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush. Dr. Akers is the coauthor of “Game of Loans: The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt” (Princeton University Press, 2016) and the coauthor of the chapter “Understanding Changes in the Distribution of Student Loan Debt over Time” in “Student Loans and the Dynamics of Debt” (Upjohn Institute Press, 2015). She has testified before Congress, and her writing and research have been published or featured in Bloomberg View, Boston Globe, Education Next, Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and others. Dr. Akers has a PhD in economics from Columbia University and a BS in mathematics and economics from the State University of New York at Albany.
Host:
Joe Selvaggi

August 2021

Hubwonk
Hubwonk

College Debt Explained: Education Pays When Students Choose Wisely

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with American Enterprise Institute resident fellow and education economist Beth Akers about the American student debt crisis (totalling $1.6 trillion). They explore who borrows, who is in debt, and which policy choices might best serve the financial needs of every student. Related: The Boston Globe op-ed: "A Truly Progressive Student Loan Policy" Guest: Beth Akers is an economist focusing on the labor market and higher education. She is currently a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, she was a senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a staff economist with the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush. Akers is the author of Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on College and coauthor of Game of Loans: The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt. Her writing and research have been featured in, among others, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Quartz, Newsweek, and The Hill. She has appeared on CNBC, ABC News, Bloomberg TV, C-SPAN, among other TV and radio networks. Akers received a B.S. in mathematics and economics from SUNY Albany and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.
Host:
Joe Selvaggi