Rising student loans have put a tremendous strain on young adults across the U.S. in recent years. We are now confronted with a generation of Americans who will be punished with overwhelming debt for gaining an education.
Programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps are great opportunities for young people, but are the rewards sufficient? President Kennedy said that there is no greater service to our country than to serve in the Peace Corps. Then why must volunteers claim economic hardship to defer their loans? And why does serving only help with Perkins loans and no other federal loans? Do not Americans devoting years of their youth deserve more for their service? The undersigned believe so.
Please, Mr. Obama, provide our youth with more opportunities and rewards for serving our nation.