Robert Shireman

Building Fences

There are not too many things that make state policy makers wring their hands more than seeing their college graduates migrate to other states. Across the nation, officials in states such as California, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, New York, and Wisconsin have been especially pained… more

Robert Shireman | June 5, 2007

A Questionable Arrangement

An internal strategy document from Sallie Mae says a whole lot about how the company makes its money from taxpayers, from students, and then again from taxpayers. On Tuesday, Higher Ed Watch described the subsidies on federal loans that remain Sallie Mae’s priority #1 to keep, while more

Robert Shireman | May 31, 2007

Private Student Loans: More Important than Child Support and Taxes?

Last week, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported on an internal strategy document from Sallie Mae listing the company’s goals in lobbying the new Congress. Not surprisingly, at the top of the list was the need to "Protect FFELP economics" -- in other words, to preserve… more

Robert Shireman | May 30, 2007