VOA标准英语2011--Virginia College Proactively Manages Student Loan Debt

Virginia College Proactively Manages Student Loan Debt

 

The Obama administration offered financial relief last month to one million college students and recent graduates struggling to make student loan payments, as tuition costs rapidly rise. Administrators¹ at a community college in Virginia have watched the tuition-loan crisis building and have launched their own program to help head it off.

Navy veteran Reason Chandler wanted to earn a college degree after leaving the military, but he needed the money to pay for it. So, like almost half of the 46,000 students at Tidewater Community College in Virginia, he applied² for financial aid, taking out loans and grants to help fund his education.

“I am 26, so it gives me a little more life experience than someone who is 18 and directly from high school,” said Chandler.

To get their loan checks, Tidewater students must complete a current budget of income and expenses, and a projected post-graduation budget, based on what that first job might pay. That way, school administrators say, a student will know better what money is left to pay the debt.

“My starting salary for urban and regional planning is around $36,000 to $40,000 a year," said Chandler. "I look back at how much I borrow and how much my payments would be. My payments would be about $136 a month."

Administrators at Tidewater Community College in Virginia have launched a program to help prevent a tuition-loan crisis at their school, where students are shown working on computers in the college library, Norfolk, Virginia, November 2011.

That's reasonable, said Tidewater Community College President Deborah DiCroce.

“Take out a mortgage to buy a house, that very next month that first payment is due. Same thing with a car payment. That is not true with this. There is too much lag time and what we are trying to do is close the gap so that the student understands it is not a handout³. It is not free, and on top of that you are going to owe that money whether you are successful in reaching your goal or not,” said DiCroce.

DiCroce said Tidewater tied student budget plans to financial aid packages to help avert⁴ the crisis that administrators saw growing. As the economy failed, Tidewater’s enrollment⁵ swelled⁶, with more students seeking the low-cost education of a community college. Also on the rise is the number of students using debt to finance college.

"Last year, graduates who took out loans left college owing an average of $24,000," said Obama. "Student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt, for the first time ever."

Late last month, the president announced a debt-relief plan for America’s college students and recent graduates. Beginning next year, the “pay as you earn" plan caps loan payments at 10 percent of discretionary income, and forgives the debt after 20 years of repayment⁷.

“This is one way to deal with it. And maybe that is the only way we have to deal with it right now, but for me I prefer to look at it on the front end,” said DiCroce.

Chandler said he is glad he did the financial prep work beforehand, and said he borrowed less. After all, he told us, he has graduate school to pay for next.

1 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

4 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

5 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

6 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

7 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。