报告称美国学生债务增加

 　　HOUSTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- More U.S. college students are graduating with loans to pay for school and the amount of their debt has increased over the years, according to a new report released Wednesday.

　　Seven in 10 college seniors who graduated in 2012 had student loan debt, with an average of 29,400 U.S. dollars for those with loans. The national share of seniors graduating with loans rose from 68 percent in 2008 to 71 percent in 2012, while their debt at graduation increased by an average of six percent per year, based on data from the "Student Debt and the Class of 2012" study by the Institute for College Access & Success.

　　Even though the financial crisis caused a substantial decline in private education lending while these borrowers were in school, about one-fifth of their debt is comprised of private loans, which are typically more costly¹ and provide fewer consumer protections and repayment² options than safer federal loans, the 28-page-long report says.

　　State averages for debt at graduation ranged widely in 2012, from 18,000 dollars to 33,650 dollars, and graduating seniors' likelihood of having debt ranged from 41 percent to 78 percent. In five states, average debt was more than 30,000 dollars. High-debt states remain concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest, with low- debt states mainly in the West and South, according to the report.

　　The state and college debt figures in this report reflect only graduates of public and private nonprofit four-year colleges, because so few for-profit colleges choose to report the necessary data, the report says.

　　According to its website, the Institute for College Access & Success is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to make higher education more available and affordable³ for people of all backgrounds.

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。