Newsroom Staff
Some 43 - million Americans are carrying around student debt.
But with high interest rates and low paying jobs - paying off that debt can be nearly impossible.
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Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of a coalition of lawmakers trying to get Congress to provide some relief.
Senator Klobuchar invited students to share their stories before the Senate Steering and Outreach committee, which she chairs, as part of the in the red campaign for student debt.
One of those students was a southwest Minnesota state teaching student.
Chelsea Jo Herrig is from Jackson, Minnesota.
She works multiple jobs to pay for school, and still faces over 40 - thousand dollars in student debt when she graduates.
Chelsea and other students testified about the burden of paying off those loans.
With interest rates as high as 7 to 8 percent, the senators want Congress to lower the rates to at least 3.8 percent.
"As future educators, we're passionate about being the best educator that we can be. And how can we morally and ethically encourage our students to be great learners and to love learning and then pursue higher education when we know that it's a struggle to actually accomplish that goal," said Minnesota College Student, Chelsea Jo Herrig.
Senator Klobuchar says Congress could pay for the lower interest rate by taxing the wealthiest Americans at the same rate as middle class Americans.
She says that would raise 50 to 70 billion dollars annually.