U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York has launched an online campaign to collect the stories of students and parents who are currently struggling, or have struggled, with student debt.
Schumer made the announcement on Monday. He said his statewide Internet campaign is a critical part of his push to tackle the issue of college affordability, now that the national student loan debt has grown beyond $1 trillion.
Schumer said a college education is a necessity priced as a luxury and it’s time for the federal government to step in.
"Until we get some really large federal help, we’re not going to get enough help we need to reduce the burden on the middle class and that’s why we’re launching this push," he said.
According to a report by the Institute for College Access and Success, an advocacy group, the average student loan debt for a student completing a four-year degree in New York is about $28,000. The same student in Connecticut would have a debt of nearly $30,000.
