mr. jeffries. this weekend three students very close to me celebrated college graduation. grace ben in it -- bennett, elizabeth -- these three young people represent the best and brightest we have to offer. congratulations, grace, amelia, and whitney. they are just three students who celebrated their college graduations this weekend. it's a joyous time but for some also a nervous time because more students than ever are walking across the stage weighed down by student loan debt. the cost for a college degree gone up. 2/3 of students graduate with an average student loan debt of $25,000. today, 37 million students are facing student loan debt and the total student loan debt burden tops $1.1 trillion. the mounting student debt is stunting the growth of a generation of graduates who are facing a tough job market and high student loan payments, are putting off key milestones such as buying a house, starting a family, which further stifles the country's economic recovery. the problem is most acute among students of color, with 81% of african-americantu