NPR: What would happen if student loans were forgiven?
UC economist joins NPR's Marketplace to discuss student loan forgiveness
NPR's Marketplace wanted to know what would happen if some or all student loans were forgiven and turned to experts, including University of Cincinnati economist Michael Jones.
Michael Jones, PhD, associate economics professor-educator and Kautz-Uible Economics Institute Academic Director.
Jones, PhD, the Kautz-Uible Professor of Economics at UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, said the pause on student loan payments in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was a relief for millions of people. Now that unemployment has decreased and the economy has strengthened, Jones said, the justification for the pause isn't as strong.
If President Joe Biden's plan to cancel $10,000 to $20,000 of debt for some borrowers was enacted, Jones said, economists worry it could add to inflation.
Another concern of forgiving student debt is “moral hazard,” the idea that students might make riskier choices if they think their debt will end up being forgiven, Jones said.
Featured image at top: Interior of UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business. Photos/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Treating opioid use during pregnancy to take center stage during Addiction Center series
May 25, 2026
Join the University of Cincinnati on June 10 for a unique conversation on opioid use disorder during pregnancy, featuring landmark trial data and firsthand patient lived experience.
Supreme Court takes another look at Title IX
May 22, 2026
Anne Lofaso, a professor in the University of Cincinnati Donald P. Klekamp College of Law, spoke with Bloomberg Law for a story about the Supreme Court reviewing whether Title IX may allow workers to sue for job bias.
'T. rex of the sea' discovered in Texas
May 22, 2026
UC Associate Professor Takuya Konishi talks to the Dallas Morning News about a new species of mosasaur found in Texas.