Student Loans: It's Not About the Rates

Pundits and politicians alike have been arguing about whether or not Congress should prevent rates on subsidized federal student loans from doubling from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1. But focusing solely on that rate, which will ultimately have little impact on students’ ability to make their payments after graduation, ignores the bigger issues of soaring tuition and record increases in the amount of financial assistance students are borrowing.