School of Social Work News

William Elliott III, Social Work Professor and Director of the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion research on Children’s Savings Accounts is highlighted in a new Brookings Institute report, “Four policies to help the middle class, and how to pay for them”.  

Elliott is a leading researcher in the fields of college savings accounts, college debt and wealth inequality. Elliott’s research challenges individual beliefs and cultural values that surround funding for college, student debt, inequality, systemic patterns of poverty and educational justice

Professor William Elliott III and Melinda Lewis, co-authors of Making Education Work for the Poor: The Potential of Children's Savings Accounts, served as panelists for the New America event, Making Education Work: Is Attacking Wealth Inequality the Answer? The event focused on educational achievement, wealth inequality, and the future of the American Dream. 

Professor William Elliott and the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion recently contributed a paper, “Making Education Work for the Poor: The Potential of Children’s Savings Accounts” to the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group compendium. They have also been asked to speak at a Child Poverty Action Group Congressional briefing, Our Kids, Our Future.

Professor William Elliott III's article, "Why children's savings accounts should be America's next wealth transfer program" was featured in The Conversation. In addition to The Conversation, the story was picked up by other news outlets including:

• The Chicago Tribune
• 10 News Tampa Bay Sarasota
• Los Angeles Times
• Main News
• Australia News

Professor William Elliott III was featured on the podcast, "Straight Talk with Frank Sweeny" to discuss his book, "The Real College Debt Crisis: How Student Borrowing Threatens Financial Well-Being and Erodes the American Dream."

Professor William Elliott III received a grant from the Friedman Family Foundation for support of the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion (AEDI). The mission of AEDI is to create and study innovations related to asset development, education, and financial inclusion that result in opportunities across the life course for low-income children and families, in the U.S. and around the globe, for the purposes of climbing out of poverty and up the economic ladder.

Professor William Elliott III was cited in the Inside Higher Ed article, “How to Pay for Free Community College.”

He was also featured in the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education article, “Merging of Savings Accounts Proposed for College Funding.”