Student Loan Debt Exceeds Average Starting Salaries of Oregon's Social Workers
- The above graph shows how median income has fallen while median student loan debt has increased.
- 92% of surveyed NASW Oregon Chapter members are using federal student loan programs to pay for their social work education.
- 78% reported incurring more than $20,000 in loan debt to finance their social work degrees.
- 25% reported incurring more than $40,000 in loan debt to finance their social work degrees.
Social Workers are Leaving the Field
- 12.7% of surveyed social workers in Oregon are planning on leaving the field of social work to seek a non-social work degree or pursue a non-social work job; an additional 8.7% are planning on retiring within five years.
The Effectiveness of Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
- 97% of Oregon NASW members surveyed said they would be more likely to work for or remain working for a public or non-profit agency if they received assistance with their student loans.
- More than two-thirds of NASW members said that student loan relief would be an incentive to work in Oregon's rural and frontier counties.
