2019 Investigative Reporting (Larger Staff) Finalist: NPR Staff

“The Vulnerable Borrowers Project”

About the Entry

NPR reporters brought to life several untold angles of student loan bureaucracy with investigations into troubled programs that resulted in the unfair debts of thousands of teachers, borrowers with disabilities and student borrowers who were defrauded by for-profit colleges.

Comments from the Judges

“Great digging, great impact, well told and researched.”

“This package of stories is powerful, impactful and highlights the need for strong investigative reporting. Without NPR on the trail, these teachers (and others) would never have gotten the relief they deserved. The student loan space is crowded with investigative pieces/wrongdoing, but this series of reports brought to life several untold angles.”