Future of Income Share Agreements @ Work AD

Income share agreements (ISAs) offer a promising if still somewhat novel option for funding adult career education and training programs. To date, ISAs are available from a number of four-year schools as well as accelerated degree programs, certificate programs, and even coding bootcamps. In December 2019, the Department of Education said it would experiment with offering them and senators have introduced bipartisan legislation to regulate the tools and investors are taking notice. As ISAs migrate from the margins of financial aid to the mainstream, the debate around them grows louder. Proponents tout the safety net they offer: the ability to make college less risky and give financial incentive to help students through to graduation and good jobs. But critics of ISAs argue that they are just a new spin on debt. These student finance industry leaders will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by this new application for ISAs.

Moderator: Larry Lutz

Panelists: Austen Allred, Chuck Trafton, Tess Michaels, Dan Friedman