Generation Debt: Doubling Student Loan Interest Rate Would Hit Illinois Hard, Data Shows

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Doubling Student Loan Interest Rate Would Hit Illinois Hard, Data Shows If Congress fails to renew a 2007 law that halved the interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford loans, Illinois students will be staring down $380 million per year in debt. The law that expires this July would double interest rates on college loans from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. Data released by the Illinois Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Thursday shows that that increase could be particularly damaging for college students in Illinois. The timing couldn't be worse: Illinois' unemployment is currently just over 9 percent, higher than the 8.2 percent national average. Illinois PIRG predicts that 67 percent of jobs in the state will require a college degree by 2020, though currently only 43 percent of the population has completed secondary education. Drew Peterson To Return To Court Friday Capone's Suburban Hideout For Sale For $2 Million On eBay WATCH: NATO Promo Video Contains Multiple Errors Conservative Heavy-Hitters Chicago-Bound For CPAC Kirk Leaves Rehab, Heads Home 3 Months After Stroke BLOG POSTS Jed Kolko: Rising Home Prices: Coming to a Market Near You Not only are rising prices starting to look like a real trend, they're also coming to a market near you -- if they haven't already. Asking prices increased year-over-year in 44 out of the 100 largest metropolitan areas, with Miami and Phoenix leading the charge. Keli Goff: 8 Reasons Michelle Obama Would Make a Better Presidential Candidate Than Her Husband The woman who was once viewed as a liability on the campaign trail in 2008 is now viewed as a greater asset than her husband as he seeks re-election in 2012. Could she one day see herself following Hillary Clinton's footsteps down the path of first lady turned presidential candidate? Josh Anderson: Lifting Up Our Youngest Learners As a community, we must continue our commitment to raising the bar for our early learning centers and closing the school readiness gap for our city's future leaders. Robert Bullen: Court's Angels in America Soars Despite Clipped Wings While the timeliness of the play may have faded over time Angels in America: Millennium Approaches remains a boldly composed masterwork filled with universal themes. Donna Solomon, DVM: The Dogs in Our Lives "The dogs in our lives offer more than fidelity, consolation, and companionship. They offer comedy, irony, wit, and a wealth of anecdotes, the "shaggy dog stories" and "stupid pet tricks" that are commonplace pleasures of life."

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