Saving and borrowing to finance higher education has become an increasingly important element of the household balance sheet and a meaningful channel affecting educational attainment, labor market outcomes, consumption, and wealth accumulation. Decisions surrounding postsecondary attendance and student loan debt affect the financial resilience of families, educational institutions, and communities, and they influence credit markets and the broader economy.

The Higher Education Finance Research Conference is a forum for the presentation and discussion of academic research on topics related to financial aid, student debt, and higher education finance. This conference is organized by the Philadelphia Fed's Consumer Finance Institute.

• Day 1 will open with three research paper presentations on financial aid design and behavioral responses, followed by a distinguished keynote address by Caroline Hoxby of Stanford University and two additional paper presentations on grants and savings accounts. The day will conclude with an onsite reception.
• Day 2 of the conference will include seven full research paper presentations across three sessions covering government financial aid policy, income-contingent student loan repayment, and institutional finances and enrollment. The afternoon will also feature a lightning round spotlighting five emerging research papers on student debt.

Conference Location

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Ten Independence Mall
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Conference Organizers

• Tomás E. Monarrez, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Dubravka Ritter, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Program Committee

• Jeffrey Denning, University of Texas at Austin
• Igor Livshits, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Adam Looney, University of Utah
• Tomás E. Monarrez, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Dubravka Ritter, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Lesley Turner, University of Chicago

For More Information

Please address any questions to phil.hef.conference@phil.frb.org or to the conference organizers.