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Student loan debt in the U.S. has hit a tripling all-time high, leaving the average college student in heaps of debt by the time they graduate.
美国的助学贷款债务达到历史最高水平的三倍，导致普通大学生在毕业时会背负沉重的债务。
The question on their minds: Is it all worth it?
这些大学生忧虑的问题是：这一切都值得吗？
The total U.S. student loan debt is currently sitting at $1.6 trillion, leaving 45 million Americans in the hole for student loan debt.
目前，美国学生贷款债务总额为1.6万亿美元，4500万美国人陷入学生贷款债务的泥潭。
For most Americans, a college degree is regarded as a measure of success, yet a post-secondary education has become cost-prohibitive for young people, even when they receive financial aid.
对于大多数美国人来说，大学学位是衡量一个人成功与否的标准，然而，对于年轻人来说，即使得到经济援助，高等教育的成本也依旧令他们望而却步。
Financial aid experts say it's not difficult to choose federal loans since they come with low interest rates and built in protections.
金融援助专家表示，联邦贷款是最佳选择，因为它利率低，而且具有保护措施。
However, there is a limit that's capped at $31,000.
然而，美国学生贷款的最高限额是31000美元。
At that point, student borrowers sometimes take out private loans, which have higher interest rates, but millions of people are racking up tens of thousands of dollars of debt, amassing a burden that will take decades to fully pay off.
因此，学生贷款者有时会通过利率较高的私人贷款获得贷款，但数以百万的美国人正在背负数万美元的债务，这些积累起来的债务需要数十年才能还清。
Some have even ended up homeless.
有些人甚至最终无家可归。
A 2021 Hope Center for a College Community and Justice survey found that homelessness affected 14% of those attending four-year institutions.
2021年，大学、社区和司法希望中心的一项调查发现，在四年制院校就读的学生中，14%的人无家可归。
A combination of factors including rising tuition and financial aid packages that failed to keep up with the cost of living has fueled the homelessness crisis among college students.
不断上涨的学费和跟不上生活成本涨幅的经济援助计划等等因素都加剧了大学生无家可归的可能性。
In 2022, the average annual cost of attending a four year private institution in the US reached $54,501.
2022年，在美国四年制私立学校就读的年平均费用高达54501美元。
That's more than double what it was 20 years ago.
费用是20年前的两倍多。
But because students tend to pay loans with low interest rates over a long period of time, the feds aren't making up for their losses, according to the Government Accountability Office.
但根据美国政府问责局的说法，由于学生倾向于支付长期低利率贷款，联邦政府没有补偿他们的损失。
In recent years, the government has stepped in.
最近几年，政府开始介入解决问题。
The Education Department has canceled billions in debt through relief programs, but there are limits as to who qualifies.
教育部已经通过救济计划免除了数十亿美元的学生贷款债务，但对参与救助的资格进行了限制。
In 2022, President Biden announced his plan to forgive or reduce student loan debt for millions of Americans.
2022年，拜登总统宣布了一项减免数百万美国人助学贷款债务的计划。
Under this plan, borrowers making less than $125,000 annually would be eligible to receive cancellation of up to $10,000 in federal student loans.
根据这项计划，年收入低于12.5万美元的借款人将有资格获得最高1万美元的联邦学生贷款减免。
