Defend Your Dollars: Share this site! We support reforms to the financial marketplace to curb bad practices by banks and lenders.

Are You Overwhelmed by Student Loans?  Tell us about your experience.

At over a trillion dollars, student loan debt now tops what Americans owe on their credit cards.  It’s no wonder since 2/3 of all undergrads graduate with an average of $25,000 debt.  Students, graduates and parents are all feeling an overwhelming burden from the skyrocketing costs of tuition and fees and increasingly have no choice but to take out loans to help pay for college. Unlike some other debt choices, going to college is necessary for many careers and in order to earn a decent paycheck. However, huge student loan debt can have a lasting impact such as limiting what kind of education a student can afford and post college career choices and delaying important financial decisions like getting married or buying a house.  For parents, student loan debt can make it difficult to meet other expenses and to save for retirement.

We want to hear from you. How has student loan debt affected you or your child? What kinds of tough decisions have you had to make in order to afford the high cost of going to college? Can you keep up with your student loan payments now that you’ve graduated?  How will the doubling of the Stafford Student Loan interest rates or cuts to other financial aid programs affect you or your family?

  1. Please indicate which topic your story relates to:













  3. Check all that apply:
  4. If you checked any of the above, please indicate whether this helped to resolve your problem.

Sharing your story helps Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. and Consumers Union Action Fund, Inc.[1] ("we" or "us") to learn more about what is happening to real people. We use this information to explain consumer problems to policymakers, the media, and the public. When you give us your story, you agree that we may use, share, and make public your story, using only your first name, city and state. We will not share or make public your last name, address, phone number, or email address unless we contact you and gain your permission to do so.


This is not a scientific survey.

[1] Consumers Union Action Fund, Inc. ("CU Action Fund") is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. CU Action Fund is affiliated with Consumers Union of United States, Inc. ("CU"), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit testing and information organization serving consumers. CU Action Fund's purpose is to educate the public regarding consumer rights and consumer safety issues and to advocate policies, legislation and regulation that ensure a fair and safe marketplace for consumers, among other advocacy activities. CU Action Fund engages in (1) nonpartisan voter education activity; (2) increased lobbying activity to pass legislation in states and in Congress; (3) work on consumer oriented ballot measures; and (4) to a greater extent than CU, in member education about elections. If you would like to learn more about CU Action Fund, visit www.cuactionfund.org.