Signal of the Week: 1 in 4

Did you have a job during college to help cover tuition? I did. I worked in the rec center and I'll never forget it - on my first day, I had to clean up after someone who'd retched during a lunchtime pickup basketball game. {Blech} Some things never change: today's college students are also working to cover tuition. But their side hustles are different and, in some cases, risky. Clasp, a healthcare student loan company, surveyed 1,000 future nurses and clinicians and found thatmore than 1 in 4 are using betting and prediction platforms like Kalshi to cover tuition. Two-thirds count their winnings as money they're relying on to pay for school. The problem: only 40% come out ahead. The timing may not be an accident.New federal rules that took effect July 1cap lifetime student borrowing at $257,500 and eliminate the Grad PLUS loan program entirely — leaving some nursing programs with 50% or more of costs unfunded. Watch for: employers doubling down on loan repayment as a recruiting method; pressure on Congress to revisit the new borrowing caps; and more health care organizations discovering their pipeline is financially fragile exactly when demand for care is climbing. Know someone who needs to know? Share PS This signal connects with a previous signal mentioned in February: