Students Blame Colleges for Debt Woes

A national poll of four-year college students has found that they are more likely to blame colleges than other institutions for the rising levels of student debt. The poll, by the Harvard University Institute of Politics, found that 68 percent of those polled viewed student debt for young people as a major problem, while 21 percent viewed it as a minor problem. Asked who was "most responsible" for rising levels of student debt, students cited the following:

• Colleges: 42 percent
• Federal government: 30 percent
• State governments: 9 percent
• Students: 8 percent
• Other: 4 percent
• Refused to answer: 7 percent