Vt. college students carry high loan burden
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The Associated Press - Published: November 12, 2008
BURLINGTON — A new national survey ranks New Hampshire second — behind Iowa — and Vermont fourth — behind Alaska — in the amount of debt students pile up getting through college.
The Project on Student Debt says that after four years of college, the average Iowa student graduates with $26,208 in debt. In New Hampshire, the figure is $25,211; Alaska's is $24,970 and Vermont's is $24,329.
There's concern in Vermont that student debt loads may prompt young people to leave the state.
Some find it easier to pay a $300 or $400 monthly student loan bill with the higher salaries they can earn in New York or Boston.
Underlying college costs are cited as the cause. They jumped 6 percent at Vermont's public colleges from 2006 to 2007.
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