Sunk Cost: Who's to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It
Jillian Berman
Apr 2025 · Gildan Media · Narrated by Linda Jones
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9 hr 54 min
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Student-loan horror stories are a dime a dozen. But students today are faced with a seemingly insurmountable paradox: Research consistently shows that the clearest viable option to financial stability is a college degree. But if and when Americans decide to pursue diplomas, student loan payments quickly follow, and even after securing full-time employment, many borrowers struggle to make ends meet for years. In Sunk Cost, journalist Jillian Berman explores how the nation's student loan program went from a well-intentioned initiative aimed at helping low- and middle-income students afford college to one that traps borrowers in long-term debt.
Berman interviewed dozens of borrowers and policymakers and dug into the archives to unearth the true causes of the student loan problem. A couple of generations ago, policy makers generously subsidized Americans' college educations because they knew it would be advantageous for the entire country: a more educated population meant better quality of life for all. But today, higher education is viewed as an individual goal, so students and their families are expected to be on the hook for it themselves. Berman explains how this enormous shift happened, which industries benefit from it, and what it means for college-going Americans today.
Berman interviewed dozens of borrowers and policymakers and dug into the archives to unearth the true causes of the student loan problem. A couple of generations ago, policy makers generously subsidized Americans' college educations because they knew it would be advantageous for the entire country: a more educated population meant better quality of life for all. But today, higher education is viewed as an individual goal, so students and their families are expected to be on the hook for it themselves. Berman explains how this enormous shift happened, which industries benefit from it, and what it means for college-going Americans today.
Student-loan horror stories are a dime a dozen. But students today are faced with a seemingly insurmountable paradox: Research consistently shows that the clearest viable option to financial stability is a college degree. But if and when Americans decide to pursue diplomas, student loan payments ...
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About the author
Jillian Berman is an award-winning reporter at MarketWatch, where she has covered student debt for a decade. Before her time at MarketWatch, Jillian wrote about food and retail companies at HuffPost. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and USA Today.
Linda Jones is an award-winning narrator and NYC actor with a penchant for dark edges and curious truths. She has narrated for Penguin Random House, Recorded Books, Audible Studios, and Dreamscape, as well as a variety of independent authors and publishers. She holds a BFA from Ithaca College.
Jillian Berman is an award-winning reporter at MarketWatch, where she has covered student debt for a decade. Before her time at MarketWatch, Jillian wrote about food and retail companies at HuffPost. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and USA Today. Linda Jones is an awa...
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