"Graduate School Debt Crisis: Overwhelming Burden on Alums"

A new analysis by the HEA Group reveals that about one-third of graduate school programs leave students with more debt than they initially borrowed, five years after graduation. The study highlights the lack of accountability in graduate programs and raises concerns about the financial burden on students. For-profit and private non-profit institutions are found to be the worst offenders, with Walden University being the most extreme case, where students accumulated $289 million in additional loan interest within five years of graduation. The analysis emphasizes the need for students to earn enough to cover their loan payments and calls for greater scrutiny of graduate programs.