Rising Student Debt Concerns University Fund Raisers

University fund raisers are worried that mounting student debt may put a serious dent into alumni giving, reports The Boston Globe.

According to a study by American Student Assistance, a Boston nonprofit group, students with no debt were twice as likely to give to their alma maters. Those who owe less than $20,000 were also far more likely to give than those with loans exceeding that amount.

The College Board says that private student loans are increasing by an average of 27 percent each year, a sobering figure in light of the American Student Assistance study’s finding that major donors tend to be people who start giving soon after they graduate.

“Whether your debt is $200 or $200,000, you don’t tend to write checks as long as you have it,” says Scott G. Nichols, vice president for development and alumni relations at Boston University.

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