Making college affordable is one of the most important issues for all us. Education is the basis for a progressive country, and it is a shame that in this country so many of us, young people, see our dreams of higher education deferred due to the costs involved. Upon restoring their leadership in Congress, Democrats have taken the initiative of seeking solutions to this problem. Within their first 100 hours they passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that among other things included more than $2 billions a year in additional need-based grant funding, a new Income-Based Repayment program that allows borrowers to repay federal loans as a portion of their income, and lower interest rates for federal loans.

According to a new report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), first year college students starting this fall can expect to save several thousand dollars on their student loans under new interest rate changes beginning on July 1st. The report, Cutting Interest Rates, Lowering Student Debt Updated, finds that average four-year college student starting school in 2008 with subsidized Stafford loans will save about $2,570 over the life of his or her loans. Check the map above to see how much you will be saving.

Across the Map, the message is clear and cannot be overstated; Democrats are working hard to make college affordable. Yet another reason to Vote for Democrats in ‘08.

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