Student debt has been a hot topic lately, both in the 2012 presidential race and in national news media, most recently in a high-profile (and hotly contested) New York Times article that highlighted colleges with high levels of debt nationwide. But pieces of information crucial to understanding the problem fully, especially how much students borrow at each college, are unavailable -- and that's not likely to change anytime soon. The lack of readily accessible, accurate information about borrowing at specific colleges means that prospective students can’t use the information in their decisions about whether or not to apply. It also makes it more difficult for colleges to compare their own students' indebtedness with that of students at other institutions -- a process that some say might lead to changes in financial aid policy at colleges where students carry an abnormally high debt load.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/18/what-we-dont-know-about-college-student-debt
