As the infographic below shows, 44 million Americans are affected by student loan debt. And the problem is growing—from 2004 to 2012, the number of borrowers and their average debt load grew by 70 percent.

In Virginia alone, the average borrower owes almost $28,000 upon graduating college.

This unfairly saddles graduates, more than half of whom have a demonstrated financial need, with crushing debts that affect everything from career potential to the ability to start a business.

This is bad for Virginia—crushing student loan debt is crushing our future.

Do you want to keep reading?

Read our recent explainer on why low interest rates for student loans are rising or check out our infographic on the cost of higher education in Virginia.