New Jersey’s Student Loan Program is ‘State-Sanctioned Loan-Sharking’
Investigative Reporting: General News Outlets, Print and Online (Large Staff)
About the Entry
Following this investigation of New Jersey’s student loan program — marked by stringent rules, aggressive collections and few reprieves — Gov. Chris Christie signed a reform bill ending the program’s most onerous practice.
- New Jersey’s Student Loan Program is ‘State-Sanctioned Loan-Sharking’
- New Jersey Student Loan Agency to Staff: Don’t Tell Borrowers About Help Unless They Ask
- New Jersey Senate Examines Controversial Student Loan Agency
- New Jersey Legislators Move to Reform Aggressive Student Loan Program
- New Jersey Commission Calls for Reforming State Loan Agency
- New Jersey’s Student Loan Agency Has Started Getting Good Reviews – By Giving Free Stuff
- New Jersey Will No Longer Collect Loans From Families of Dead Students
Entry Credit
- Annie Waldman, Reporter, ProPublica (partnered with The New York Times)
Comments from the Judges
“This is a very well-reported series … It combines powerful personal material with policy analysis. And it brought results in legislation and new policies.”
“The convergence of data reporting and holding government accountable makes this compelling. The abuse of power was stunning to see and actually forced its governor to take on a sector that perhaps wasn’t a priority at first but this reporting made it so.”
