Category Archives: AAUW Press Release

COVID Crisis Exacerbates Burden of Student Debt for Women

May 20, 2020

Black Women and Low-Income Women Face Especially High Debt Levels and Weak Job Prospects


WASHINGTON, DC – The global pandemic is making the country’s student debt crisis exponentially worse, according to a new analysis by the American Association of University Women. AAUW concludes that, unless policymakers take further action to combat student debt and bolster the U.S. economy, millions of women college graduates will face unprecedented burdens that will hamper their economic security for years to come.

READ THE FULL 2020 DEEPER IN DEBT REPORT

AAUW’s analysis found:

  • Women hold more than two-thirds of the nation’s $1.54 trillion of student loan debt.
  • Black women, women who are the first in their families to attend college, and women who attend for-profit colleges hold more student debt than other cohorts (among those who have loans).
  • The class of 2020 is entering a job market with record-high unemployment, which is falling most heavily on women. Many graduates may also experience underemployment and jobs with inadequate benefits.
  • Side jobs that students have historically relied on to repay college loans (such as those in retail, the service industry and the gig economy) are disappearing amid the global economic crisis.
  • As they have in years past, women encounter a wage gap as soon as they graduate: Women in general are paid 82 cents for every dollar a man makes. Compared to white, non-Hispanic men, Black women make 62 cents on the dollar and Hispanic women make 54 cents on the dollar.

“The Class of 2020 is facing an untenable situation. They are graduating to record unemployment, a student debt crisis and the gender pay gap,” said Kim Churches, AAUW’s chief executive officer. “Even in a strong economy, student debt hurts the ability of women to buy homes, start a family or save for retirement. Unless we take decisive action, we’re crushing the future of a generation of women.”

“While the CARES Act provides some assistance, it is nowhere near enough. What’s more, it does not nearly begin to address the distinct burdens of women of color and women from low-income families,” Churches continued.

AAUW is calling on policymakers to:

  • Extend emergency aid. Build out assistance programs to ensure help is available to all students with the highest need, regardless of immigration status.
  • Cancel student debt. Forgiveness of at least $10,000 in student debt is a good beginning to enable America’s 45 million borrowers to increase personal income and contribute to the economy in significant ways.
  • Bolster federal grants. Congress must ensure that the maximum Pell Grant is increased as the program’s purchasing power is at the lowest it’s been in decades.
  • Close the gender pay gap. The Senate needs to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would close loopholes in Equal Pay Act, including strengthening penalties for equal pay violations, banning the use of salary history in hiring and prohibiting retaliation against workers who talk about wages.

Other Resources:

Kim Churches is available for interviews. Contact Mary C. Hickey at 202.785.7748 (work), 973.819.3608 (cell) or hickey@aauw.org.

 

AAUW Statement on Rollback of Title IX Protections

May 6, 2020

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kim Churches issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education final Title IX regulations for schools dealing with sexual misconduct:

Although the nation is facing an unprecedented health emergency that requires singular focus, today the Trump Administration issued a rule that will substantially weaken Title IX, rolling back important protections for student survivors of sexual harassment and assault.

The decision by the U.S. Department of Education to move forward with this change follows more than a year of vigorous opposition from survivor advocacy organizations, civil rights groups and educational institutions. The outrageous new rule will make it harder for students who’ve experienced sexual harassment or violence to come forward to get the protections Title IX was created to provide.

Compounding the outrage is the fact that this rule is being finalized amid a global crisis that is causing confusion and unrest, specifically within the education community. To proceed with a policy change that will require extensive resources for training and implementation while students and schools are already facing unprecedented challenges is positively shameful.

In the best of times, the rule is ill-advised: It threatens to turn back the clock, reversing policies that were put in place to make it easier for survivors to report sexual misconduct. The rules will stack the deck against survivors, making it too onerous, even traumatic, for many to come forward. In short, the rule is antithetical to the fundamental promise of Title IX, that all students deserve access to an education free from sex discrimination.

But these are among the worst of times. We urge the Administration to keep its focus on protecting our colleges and universities, minding the shaky economy and on keeping Americans healthy and safe. To deprive American students of badly needed protections right now is just plain wrong.

A Different Kind of Equal Pay Day: COVID-19 Amplifying Inequities

March 26, 2020

Kim Churches, CEO of the American Association of University Women, issued this statement in advance of Equal Pay Day, which will be marked on March 31.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is creating a seismic shift in our lives and in the U.S. economy. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this crisis — as does our promise to work even harder on their behalf. In these challenging times, we are doubling down on our efforts to fight for the economic security of American women and their families, as we have done for the past 140 years.

This is typically the time we mark the annual Equal Pay Day, when women symbolically catch up to men’s average earnings from the previous year. In addition to noting this date (March 31), but this year we are taking a wider view to focus on how the pandemic is amplifying and exacerbating all of the nation’s economic inequities.

The issues we have long been fighting for are now alarmingly urgent: Low-wage workers – 54 percent of whom are women — are bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic as they lose jobs by the millions. Those who’ve been working part time — again predominantly women — often don’t have basic employee benefits, including health insurance coverage. The increasing numbers of gig workers also have no benefits.

The nation’s lack of paid sick and family leave is endangering both the physical and economic wellbeing of countless American families. Retired women — who are twice as likely as men to be living at or below the poverty line — are more vulnerable than ever. And the burden of student debt — two-thirds of which is held by women — feels especially onerous for those who are unemployed.

We are confident that the severity of the crisis will eventually lessen, and as it does, society will turn its collective attention to rebuilding the economy. Throughout the coming weeks, months and years, AAUW will accelerate our efforts to address the persistent and underlying inequities that are crucial for a full recovery. Together, we can ensure that we end up with a better, more economically secure world for women, their families and all of society.”

Kim Churches is available for interviews. Contact Mary C. Hickey at hickey@aauw.org.

The Coca-Cola Foundation Renews Its Support For AAUW With $500,000 Grant

Funds support programs that advance gender equity in the workplace

The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to support its Women’s Empowerment Program, which trains women in leadership and workplace negotiation skills as part of a multipronged effort to close the gender wage gap. More than 100,000 women are expected to benefit from the program in 2020.

This marks the second year in a row that The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a half million in funding to AAUW. Last year, the grant enabled the expansion of AAUW’s training programs, including the development of an online version of the Work Smart salary negotiation course. This year, the focus will be on delivering the trainings to college and university students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni networks, with a particular focus on historically black colleges and universities.

“We are enormously grateful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for its continued support of our mission to ensure economic security for all women,” said Kim Churches, AAUW’s Chief Executive Officer. “Thanks to the Foundation’s boundless generosity, we will be able to provide training to a diverse group of women across the country and to empower them to advance in their careers. In addition to serving  thousands of individuals, this effort helps chip away at the gender wage gap and ensure that women get the opportunities—and the salaries—they deserve.”

“We funded this program because we know closing the gender economic empowerment gap means the difference between living above or below the poverty line, having healthy families and being prepared for the future,” said Helen Smith Price, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with AAUW and to invest in its programs, which have proven track records of success.”

The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support initiatives around the world. These grants have given more than 3 million women worldwide access to financial support, business training and networking opportunities.

The American Association of University Women works to close the gender pay gap through education, research and advocacy. Founded nearly 140 years ago, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization today has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university members.

Media Contact: Mary C. Hickey, hickeym@aauw.org, 202.785.7748