Tralen Neal of Raleigh Talks Student Debt in D.C.

2016 Apr 8

Mary Baldwin College Student Government Association President Tralen Neal of Raleigh traveled to Washington DC in January to participate in a roundtable discussion about student debt, hosted by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine.

Mary Baldwin was one of about 15 Virginia schools represented at the event to allow lawmakers to hear how student loan debt impacts young people and their plans for the future.

As the senate begins consideration of the Higher Education Act, the Virginia senators will also discuss their proposals to address college affordability issues and help alleviate the burden of student loan debt.

Warner has introduced two bipartisan bills to provide relief to students struggling to manage record levels of college debt. One proposal streamlines income-based repayment programs, and the other would allow employers to recruit and retain talented workers by helping to pay-down an employee's student loan debts with pre-tax income. More than half of Virginia's college students will graduate with some student debt, and the average student loan debt in Virginia tops $26,000 per graduate.

Neal is a senior biology major.