Our two guests on this episode—Ethan Pollack of Jobs for the Future and Andrew Smalley of NCSL—discuss how a set of innovative financial tools are helping students pay for college and other post-secondary education, and the role legislatures can play in facilitating those efforts.

Exploring Innovative Paths to Pay for College | OAS Episode 202

Learn about the people, policies and politics of America's state legislatures with NCSL's three podcasts: "Our American States," "Across the Aisle" and the special limited series "Building Democracy."

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Two legislators from Indiana and Maryland with deep expertise in work-based learning programs such as apprenticeships and credential programs sat down to discuss how programs in their states are offering youth more post-secondary options.

New Career Paths for Young People | OAS Episode 208

Public health officials and lawmakers in Kentucky had been trying to address the complex issue of maternal mortality for years. Rep. Kimberly Moser had long been a neonatal and intensive care nurse, and knew the struggles around maternal health in the state. Lawmakers had taken steps in past sessions, but last year when the latest numbers came out, Moser decided it was time to bring the best minds together to finally improve the odds for Kentucky mothers and babies. The result of months of research and discussion yielded a range of solutions in a bill dubbed the “Momnibus.”

Kentucky Momnibus Tackles High Maternal Death Rate | Episode 14

It's budget season in state legislatures, and we sat down with two experts on state budgets to discuss the key steps in the budgeting process, revenue estimates and the overall state of state budgets going into the new fiscal year.

Checking in on State Budgets | OAS Episode 207

Two legislators join the podcast to discuss why they sponsored legislation to abolish fees and fines for juveniles in the court system, and why those changes were needed.

Tackling fees and Fines in the Court System | OAS Episode 206

Two experts on the nation’s drug overdose crisis join the podcast to discuss how state and federal governments are tackling the problem that has led to more than 110,000 deaths in the 12-month period that ended last September. The vast majority of those deaths, near 80%, involved fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

Exploring Innovative Paths to Pay for College | OAS Episode 202

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