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Postsecondary education is a key pathway to economic mobility for many Americans, but financial challenges often make it difficult for learners to pursue and complete their education. Obtaining financing for postsecondary education can be a barrier to access for some students. The process is complicated, and many programs are ineligible for traditional student loans. One alternative postsecondary financing approach with broad potential use is an income share agreement (ISA). Under an ISA, the learner promises a share (income percentage) of their post-completion income to a funder for a set period (repayment term) in exchange for immediate money for school. ISA payments are only required when the learner's earnings exceed a set amount (i.e., when earnings are above the income threshold). Although ISAs can be beneficial, not much is known about how they function in practice. For example, there are no industrywide requirements for what information ISA-offering institutions provide to learners. There are few regulatory safeguards to prevent the use of potentially misleading language in ISA documentation. The number of postsecondary institutions offering ISAs is unknown, as are the characteristics of these institutions. The authors of this report aim to fill some of these gaps. Using a novel dataset that they compiled to describe the ISA market, the authors examine how ISA structure, implementation, and communication vary; analyze the language used to market ISAs; and assess implications for systemic inequities. This report provides their findings and recommendations for federal and state policymakers, financial aid professionals and learners, and ISA-offering institutions.

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An analysis of how climate change could lead to conflict is presented in this report. Although climate-related conflict can occur anywhere in the world, the focus of this report is on how this process has occurred and continues to evolve in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR). Much of the CENTCOM AOR is already coping with environmental stress caused by climate change and environmental management practices. Many of the factors associated with conflict (such as weak institutions and hybrid regimes) are present in the AOR, leaving the region vulnerable to the phenomenon of climate-related conflict. The authors begin by presenting an examination of what the academic literature identifies as causal pathways that lead from climate hazards to different types of conflict: intrastate conflict (also known as civil conflict) and interstate conflict. After identifying the causal pathways, the authors analyze three cases of climate-related conflict in the CENTCOM AOR. The purpose of this research is to support CENTCOM leadership, planners, and intelligence officers to prepare for a future security environment that is affected by climate change. Understanding the causal pathways from climate change to conflict should enable CENTCOM to anticipate how changes in the physical environment may reverberate in the security environment and when an area may be on a path to conflict or full-blown war that could lead to CENTCOM intervention. The report is the second in a series focused on climate change and the security environment.