Fight erupts over Georgia university's study of payday loans

A battle has erupted over a Georgia university professor's study of payday lending. Last December, Kennesaw State University released a study of how consumers respond to protracted use of payday loans— the short-term, high-interest loans that many critics contend harm low-income borrowers. The study, by KSU data scientist Jennifer Priestley, cast doubt on claims by critics that extended refinancing of payday loans is harmful to consumers’ financial welfare. "Our research fills a gap in the…