College students this past fall likely borrowed the least amount for higher education in five years, federal data show, amid declining overall enrollment and a drop in lending to students at for-profit schools.
Total new borrowing from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2014-2015 school year was likely below $100 billion for the first time since the 2009-2010 academic year, according to a Huffington Post analysis of federal data.
The drop in new borrowing comes amid growing concerns about spiraling college costs and outstanding student debt, which the Federal Reserve says totals nearly $1.3 trillion. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has made higher education and student debt the centerpiece of her campaign.