A new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to help married couples pay off their student loans.
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler’s bill would provide financial relief to married couples paying off their student loans by allowing them to apply for the loan interest deduction individually.
According to Hartzler’s office, current law says married couples are only allowed to take the deduction as a couple, even if both partners are qualified.
Debt.org, an online debt help organization, estimates that the total average student loan debt in the U.S. jumped from 260 billion dollars in 2004 to one point four trillion dollars in 2017.
The congresswoman represents Missouri’s fourth district, which includes parts of West and Central Missouri.