Surging student-loan debt has become a burden on the US economy – and President Obama is warning of a “tremendous blow” that could occur for millions of students in the form of an interest-rate hike in July…

Student loans pose a significant financial challenge for America, some economists say, but in a way that’s different from the big buildup in mortgage debt that ended in a housing bust and deep recession…

Yet the debts resulting from college are a high and rising burden that now totals more than $1 trillion, by one official estimate. For a graduate, the burden can be like paying a second rent check each month. And the job market is still in poor shape, meaning that many grads face the loan payments while unemployed or underemployed.