This event will address the problems and improvements needed for student loans, beginning with a keynote presentation by former secretary of education Bill Bennett.

In 2011, the Government Mortgage Complex accounted for 88 percent of all first-mortgage originations in the United States, with the government also controlling an estimated 90 percent of the student loan market. The government’s growing dominance in the home mortgage and student loan categories is cause for concern, posing a threat to private investors, borrowers, and taxpayers.

What lessons on student loans can be learned from the searing national misadventure with mortgages?

Recent economic research suggests that colleges siphon off a significant portion of federal education aid rather than lowering costs to students

Accumulated student loan debt now totals $1 trillion. The Super Committee should fix the student loan program by requiring evidence of ability to repay guaranteed loans.

Doing a better job of providing accessible, high-quality training, and helping students identify those programs, may not garner the headlines of a new research lab or football stadium, but it's a whole lot more likely to make a difference for workers and communities across the land.

When partnering with outside consultants to turn around a school, schools districts must consider how the work is setting schools up for long-term success.