Borrowed Future: Relevant topic but far too many ads for its creator
The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):
There’s a massive student loan crisis in America. Millions have found themselves buried beneath a mountain of debt. This podcast series explores the lies we believe about college and digs into the soaring cost of tuition and the predatory nature of the student loan industry. Listen and subscribe to learn how to pay for college without debt or know if college is even the right choice for you. ⠀⠀⠀
Series or standalone:
Series
Begin listening to:
What No One Told You About Student Loans
Format:
Reporting
Sound/production quality:
Good
Rating/age suitability:
Teen/adult (just because I can't think of a reason a younger kid would want to listen)
Approximate length of episodes:
45-60 minutes
Curricular ties:
You could probably work this into a financial literary/college counseling class, but there are less biased/sponsored podcasts out there that cover the same material.
Similar recommended pods:
Podcast Librarian’s Review:⠀⠀ This pod is about the student loan/debt crisis, which is a topic that hits close to home for me (and many of you, I’m sure). It explores how the U.S. even got into this situation in the first place and interviews some people who have massive amounts of student loan debt. It’s not all bad news, though; the final episode provides practical advice for those who have not yet taken out student loans and may be able to avoid some or all of this financial burden. The host of the pod interviews people who are battling with student loan debt and often, are unable to pay it back quick enough without interest making it increase exponentially. There’s an especially heartbreaking interview with a 74-year-old woman with $71,000 in debt from her Bachelors and Masters degrees. Wait until you hear what she says about the “bright side” of her situation (Episode 4)—it’s bleak, to say the least. One downside to the pod is that it is part of Dave Ramsey’s network, so you may not enjoy it if you’re not a fan of his debt repayment methods. I don’t feel strongly about him, but I did find it grating that so many of the ads were for his products or network. Also, the episodes consulted the same few experts (JMU admissions director, a college financial aid expert, and of course, Dave himself). The pod could have been edited better. For example, the host often asks the same question to a few different people but repeats it each time; it would have flowed better had he asked the questions once and then had the different people give their answers without repeating the question. If you’re short on time, check out episodes 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 for the main ideas.
