Faculty Publications

Student Loan Debt and Its Impact on the Nonprofit Sector

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Student loan debt, nonprofit sector

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership

Volume

8

Issue

3

Abstract

In the United States, the number of students graduating with debt and the amount of this debt have grown significantly in recent years. Little is known about the impact of loan debt on career choices and trajectories, particularly for graduates entering the nonprofit sector. To examine the role of student debt on postgraduation job search and employment, this study used a national sample of 464 graduates who have earned the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. The findings indicate that race/ethnicity, childhood economic status, gradu-ation year, and amount of tuition assistance influence the acquisition of student loan debt. Amount of student loan debt, however, does not influence the sector of the grad-uate’s first job choice. The only significant factors related to first job are race/ethnicity and graduation year. The discussion outlines potential concerns for nonprofit sector leaders to recruit and retain a talented workforce.

Department

Department of Health, Recreation, and Community Services

Department

Community Engagement

Original Publication Date

7-5-2018

DOI of published version

10.18666/JNEL-2018-V8-I3-8778

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