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Online news organization ProPublica recently launched Debt by Degrees, a database that identifies how low-income students are faring at nearly 7,000 higher education institutions in America.

Also referred to as “ProPublica’s College Scorecard,” the database utilizes the trove of new data released with the U.S. Department of Education’s new College Scorecard. Users can view data by state or drill down by institution for detailed information on how much low-income students pay for college, how much debt they accrue, how many are repaying their loans and what their income is after graduation.

The database can help students, parents and advisors seek clear information on how much college costs for low-income students, a traditionally difficult question to answer given how much (or how little) colleges discount tuition and fees. For example (pictured), the total cost or “sticker price” for a year of tuition, books and other expenses at the University of Florida is $20,456, but low-income students only pay on average 60% of that amount, or $8,111, after grants, scholarships and other financial aid is given.

Want to learn more about Debt to Degrees? ProPublica also released an article and podcast to accompany the release of their new interactive database that features a deeper dive into the data.



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