To relieve the burden on our young people, the U.S. will need to address the mountain of student-loan debt -- not just the cost of college, but the debt overhang crushing the millennials. That is a problem, since the government owns a huge amount-- more than $1 trillion -- of the student debt outstanding. If we write down some student debt, or make it easier to expunge in bankruptcy, that could put a hole in U.S. government finances.

But that’s not so bad. The government now can borrow at very low interest rates -- near zero, in fact. That is much lower than the rates on student-loan debt. So the government could write down some of the millennials’ debt, or let them more easily wipe out debt in bankruptcy, and it could replace those obligations with its own, cheaper debt.

So our government should consider helping the millennials out with their loans. The battle to save the young is a big part of the battle against poverty.

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