Beth Akers
{{Short description|American economist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox journalist
| institutions =
| birth_date = 1983
| nationality = American
| alma_mater = Columbia University
| occupation = Economist
| organization = Manhattan Institute for Policy Research,
}}
Elizabeth "Beth" Akers (born 1983) is an American economist known for her advocacy for reform of the federal student loan and financial aid system in the United States.William Elliott III, Melinda K. Lewis, Student Debt: A Reference Handbook (2017), pages 145-46.
Career
From 2016 to 2021, Akers was a senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers Archives |url=https://manhattan.institute/person/beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Manhattan Institute |language=en}} during which she coauthored Game of Loans: The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt, published in 2016.{{Cite book |last1=Akers |first1=Beth |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wf4cnf |title=Game of Loans: The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt |last2=Chingos |first2=Matthew M. |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2016 |doi=10.2307/j.ctt1wf4cnf |jstor=j.ctt1wf4cnf |language=en}} Akers was formerly an expert at the Brookings Institution, an American think tank,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers |url=https://www.brookings.edu/people/beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}} as well as a member of the Council of Economic Advisors under president George W. Bush.{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers Archives |url=https://www.city-journal.org/person/beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=City Journal |language=en}} In 2021, she authored a second book, Making College Pay.{{Cite web |title=Making College Pay by Beth Akers: 9780593238530 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667134/making-college-pay-by-beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kantrowitz |first=Mark |date=May 3, 2021 |title=How To Make College Pay |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/markkantrowitz/2021/05/03/how-to-make-college-pay/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
Akers has written and contributed to publications such as The Hill,{{Cite web |last=Akers |first=Beth |date=2023-02-27 |title=What to expect from the Supreme Court on Biden's student loan cancellation |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/education/3871977-what-to-expect-from-the-supreme-court-on-bidens-student-loan-cancellation/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}} Federalist Society,{{Cite web |date=2022-09-20 |title=Dr. Elizabeth Akers |url=https://fedsoc.org/contributors/beth-akers |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=fedsoc.org}} RealClearEducation,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers {{!}} Author {{!}} RealClearEducation |url=https://www.realcleareducation.com/authors/beth_akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=www.realcleareducation.com |language=en}} The Boston Globe,{{Cite web |last=Akers |first=Beth |date=29 Aug 2022 |title=Biden's student loan debt plan is driven by politics, not economics |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/29/opinion/bidens-student-loan-debt-plan-is-driven-by-politics-not-economics/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Boston Globe |language=en-US}} Education Next,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers, Author at Education Next |url=https://www.educationnext.org/author/bakers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Education Next |language=en-US}} U.S. News and World Report,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers |url=https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/beth-akers |access-date=6 Aug 2023 |website=U.S. News and World Report}} Washington Examiner,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/beth-akers |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Washington Examiner |language=en}} New America,{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers |url=http://newamerica.org/our-people/beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=New America |language=en}} The Seattle Times,{{Cite web |date=2019-07-17 |title=Beth Akers {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/author/beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=www.seattletimes.com |language=en-US}} Pioneer Press,{{Cite web |last=Akers |first=Beth |date=2019-07-26 |title=Beth Akers: There's too much emphasis on reducing student loans, not enough on reducing risk |url=https://www.twincities.com/2019/07/26/beth-akers-theres-too-much-emphasis-on-reducing-student-loans-not-enough-on-reducing-risk/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Twin Cities |language=en-US}} The Washington Post,{{Cite news |last=Akers |first=Beth |date=17 Jul 2019 |title=There's too much emphasis on reducing student loans and not enough on reducing risk |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/07/17/theres-too-much-emphasis-reducing-student-loans-not-enough-reducing-risk/ |access-date=7 Aug 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post}} and National Review.{{Cite web |title=Beth Akers |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/author/beth-akers/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=National Review |language=en-US}} She has also given testimony for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding higher education.{{Cite web |date=February 7, 2017 |title=Challenges and Opportunity in Higher Education |url=https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/akers_written_testimony.pdf |access-date=6 Aug 2023 |website=edworkforce.house.gov}}
Political opinions and reception
In her book, Akers wrote that the education financing system is simply far too complex for the average student or parent borrower to navigate well. She argues that the United States Department of Education should simplify federal financial aid, adopt a single, income-driven repayment plan for federal student loans, and bring market discipline into student lending in innovative ways.
She has stated that enrolling more student loan borrowers into a plan with more protections would be a positive for the system. She has stated she is against of paycheck withholding as being the only option for a loan repayment, but acknowledges that that system would have clear benefits, with automatic payments eliminating "unnecessary defaults". She stated, "The Idea that payroll withholding could be a substitute for our broken loan-servicing system is appealing..."{{cite web |last=Kreighbaum |first=Andrew |date=February 19, 2019 |title=Proposal for payroll withholding sets off debate on student loan system |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/02/19/proposal-payroll-withholding-sets-debate-student-loan-system |website=www.insidehighered.com}}
In 2019, under the American Enterprise Institute, Ackers published an analysis of student loans, finding a pattern of costs that continued through the decade's end.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickhess/2022/01/26/bidens-ambitious-higher-ed-agenda-has-stalled-out/|title=Biden's Ambitious Higher Ed Agenda Has Stalled Out|first=Frederick|last=Hess|date=January 26, 2022|website=Forbes}} She stated:
{{quote|"I think Republicans will certainly face pressure to ensure that future Democratic presidents don’t have the authority to cancel more student debt. Their constituents have often been critical of the president's efforts", said Beth Akers, senior fellow focused on higher education and student loans at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). "But this isn't an issue that Republican leaders needed an outraged constituency to motivate them to act. The unlawful and unfair forgiving of student loans goes against the basic tenets of Republican and conservative ideology".{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3730091-how-a-gop-house-could-affect-the-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/|title=How a GOP House could affect the student loan forgiveness plan|first1=Lexi|last1=Lonas|first2=Aris|last2=Folley|date=November 11, 2022}}}}Akers has shown support for a financial aid reform that distributes a larger percentage of money towards students most in need of it.{{Cite news |last=Saunders |first=Debra J. |date=17 Sep 2012 |title=Price of Obama's 'college affordability' plan |pages=C5 |work=Statesman Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/126947988 |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 Aug 2023}}
Education
Akers received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and economics from University at Albany, SUNY and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.{{cite web |title=Beth Akers |url=https://www.manhattan-institute.org/expert/beth-akers |website=Manhattan Institute}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.c-span.org/person/?bethakers Beth Akers] on C-SPAN
- {{twitter}}
- {{substack handle}}
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Category:Columbia University alumni
Category:University at Albany, SUNY alumni
Category:American women economists
Category:American women non-fiction writers
Category:American Enterprise Institute