An income share agreement is a financial structure in which an individual or organization provides something of value to a recipient who, in exchange, agrees to pay back a percentage of their income for a fixed number of years. ISAs have gained prominence as an alternative to the traditional student loan system in American higher education, and a number of private companies now offer ISAs for a variety of purposes, including as a funding source for college tuition. ISAs are often considered to be less financially risky to a borrower than a traditional private student loan. In the UK this type of agreement received final FCA approval, under a unique regulatory framework. So far StepEx is the only firm to operate as a regulated ISA provider, underwriting the credit with funds from large UK financial institutions. ISAs are only currently available in the UK for post-graduate degrees in professional fields from top universities. This presents a more widely available and affordable alternative to debt for post-graduation student funding.
Characteristics
Income share agreements are characterized by a percentage share of future income for some specified period of time. They can function like non-voting shares in a company where the individual student is treated like a company. In the American system, this usually involves the investor transferring funds to an individual in exchange for a fixed percentage of their future income. Other features of income share agreements may include a) a fixed duration of time for the income sharing b) an income exemption where the borrower does not owe anything below a certain income, and/or c) a buyout option, where the borrower may pay some specified fee to exit the contract prior to the full duration of the term. Some ISA investors offer different terms to different students based on their predicted likelihood of success, while others offer the same terms to all students. Potential groups of investors could include for-profit companies, altruistic non-profits, alumni groups, educational institutions, and local, state, or federal governments.
History
originally proposed the concept in 1955, in his essay "The Role of Government in Education", in which he argued that students might beneficially be funded through an "equity investment" such that: In the 1970s Yale University attempted a modified form of Friedman’s proposal with several cohorts of undergraduate students. At Yale, instead of making individual contracts for a fixed number of years, all members of the cohort agreed to pay back a percentage of earnings until the entire cohort’s balance had been paid off. However, the system left students frustrated that they were paying more than their fair share, by being forced to make payments on behalf of peers unwilling or unable to pay back their loans. In 2013, Oregon legislators passed a bill that would investigate Pay It Forward as a college financing scheme. The model would allow students to attend college tuition-free, and then pay a proportion of their incomes post-graduation to finance the cost of their studies. However, unlike the income share agreement model, Pay It Forward would be publicly funded, and it would offer fixed percentage repayments across all institutions. Public debate over the Oregon plan led to renewed interest in equity-based funding models, including a prominent summit on income share agreements at the New America Foundation and a policy paper from the American Enterprise Institute. On April 9, 2014, Senator Marco Rubio announced the introduction of legislation in the US Congress that would 'broaden the use' of income share agreements.
Advantages
Proponents of ISAs argue that they provide significant benefits over existing models of college financing: Efficient allocation of resources Since investors have an incentive to allow students to pay lower shares of their income when they enroll in high quality, low-cost educational programs, ISAs lead to a more efficient allocation of financial resources between colleges. This allows students to go to universities and educational institutions with higher placement and completion rates. A significant problem right now is that students frequently "underplace", i.e. prefer to go to a less expensive school, even if career outcomes from such schools are worse. ISAs allow a way to reward going to schools that provide more value and better career outcomes. Insurance and downside protection ISAs reduce risk for students, and therefore act as an insurance policy for graduates with low earnings: This is a non-trivial benefit, since we know, based on current studies that student loans can impact both short term career outcomes and long term wealth. For instance, recent articles indicate that student loans make it difficult for individuals to participate in the stock market to build long term wealth:
"My money is spent servicing student loans," said Marcus Wallace, a 25-year-old waiter in Washington, D.C. Until that debt is reduced, he explained, the great stock market bull run will have to go on without him.
Lower job search costs Research indicates that income based repayments make students' career outcomes more efficient by making the job search process less costly. If you are not worried about how to make your next repayment immediately, you are free to search for a job that is a better fit for your skills and can help you grow your career. Career development augmentation Income share agreements align the incentives of investors to that of the student—i.e., both would like the student to do well in the job market. This creates an opening to combine ISA financing with career enhancement tools like career mentoring and networking support. Students that need education finance the most also typically have limited social capital like family-based networks and career mentors that are frequently critical to success in the job market. ISAs augmented with career development provide a nice way to overcome such limitations.
Relevant laws by country
US
The US allows its citizens to have income sharing agreements.
Common concerns
Indentured servitude
One of the most frequently cited concerns with Income Share Agreements is that they are a form of indentured servitude. Critics argue that because students owe a percentage of their income, the investor therefore own a piece of the student. For instance, Kevin Roose wrote in New York magazine that ISA companies give "young people in the post-crash economy the chance to indenture themselves to patrons in the investor class." However, advocates of ISAs contend that since students have no legal obligation to work in a particular industry, and since it is illegal for investors to pressure them into a certain career, students are no more “indentured” than those with a student loan. In fact, someone with a traditional student loan has less choice than someone with an ISA, because the student with a loan needs to be in a career where they make at least enough income to cover their monthly payment, whereas someone with an ISA can choose to never make any money, and would never owe the investor a dime.
Uncaptured positive externalities
Since Income Share Agreements are priced based on likely economic success, critics argue that programs that are not economically viable but still valuable to society may not receive ISAs. For instance, a Masters of Social Work is an expensive degree, but social workers often are not paid very much. Therefore, investors may not offer Income Share Agreements for social workers given current tuition rates. However, the same argument could be made for those with certain majors in the liberal arts. This risk is mitigated so long as other financing options are available, such as subsidized loans and grants from the federal government.
Discrimination
As of now, there are no documented cases of discrimination based on race or gender with ISA agreements, but some worry that should ISAs become a more popular model, the potential for discrimination could increase. While there are already anti-discrimination laws in most financial markets that would likely apply to ISA investors, the question, as of now, has not been completely resolved. Some advocates argue that ISAs are less discriminatory as compared to loans:
Creaming
Some worry that ISAs would have the effect of "creaming" the best students and only fund elite institutions. However, ISAs should theoretically fund all economically viable programs, so the only way that could be true is if the vast majority of institutions are not economically viable.
