Unless Congress acts, this summer the interest rates on new federally subsidized Stafford loans will double, increasing from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. At a time when more and more college students are taking on new debt, this is a daunting prospect. Some estimates place total outstanding student debt in the United States at more than $1 trillion. The reasons for the continuing surge in student debt are complex - affected by the protracted recession, weak labor market and tuition increases across the nation as states deal with billion-dollar deficits in part by slashing funding to public colleges and universities. Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/04/07/2472278/whatcom-view-western-helps-students.html#storylink=cpy