Photo: LA Johnson

Student borrowers hold a total of $1.51 trillion in debt on student loans. Most of the loans are borrowed from the federal government. Parents hold about 7 percent of the total outstanding loan amount. 

For those who dropped out of college, or even people who graduated but then suffered unexpected medical or financial calamity, even a small amount of debt can be paralyzing. But for borrowers who can afford the monthly payments, education debt is just another part of the price of admission to the middle class—even if they never entirely pay it off.

This interactive story provides a detailed look behind the student-loan debt numbers. 

It’s time for colleges and universities to take a hard look in the mirror, says University of Maryland Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski. Too many students don’t make it to graduation and others are faced with the false choice between pursuing a broad education and gaining technical skills, when they actually need both. 

At UMBC, Hrabowski is proving that with the right support, even the most challenged students will succeed.