The Pew Research Center released a study that revealed one in five United States households are burdened by student debt.

That is more than double from a decade ago, and up 15 percent from 2007 just prior to the “Great Recession.”

Over the past few months, Obama continues to state he intends to raise federal student loans and keep interest rates down. Romney is in favor of cutting down student loans, including getting rid of Pell Grants, which provide financial aid thousands of students nationwide.

Romney’s plan for getting students to college includes making colleges more competitive with tuition costs, and having students “shop around” to look for a better deal. He embraces the Republican precedent of having students go through private lenders, such as banks, for loans rather than a more direct form with the government.

DePaul vice president for financial aid Paula Luff said it would be “devastating for students across the nation” if Romney’s plan was enacted.

The national deficit is now more than $16 trillion, and with two-thirds of college students using loans, the Republican ticket of Romney and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan seem dead set on cutting down student loans to cut down the deficit.

The nation’s student loan debt has reached a staggering $900 billion, and it continues to soar as college tuition costs continue to raise. Romney is on record stating that increasing federal student loans have been a big contributor to the rising tuition costs among colleges. Luff said that is inaccurate.

“Tuition is not set by how much a student can borrow,” said Luff. “Tuition is set by how much it costs to educate a student.”

DePaul students are also voicing their concerns. With the student loan program up in the air, interest rates could possibly double on student loans, making it harder for those using them to pay them back in the future.

Recent DePaul graduate Sahar Nikaniam said she didn’t think students should have to worry about loans after they graduate, but DePaul freshman Emily Elisar does not think student loans are necessarily bad.

“I think student loans give people (an) opportunity,” said Elisar. “It may, in the long run, hurt you, because you have to pay them all back. But at the same time if someone wants to have that, they should have the opportunity to go to school.”

The debate continues, and with the election just over a month away, student loans will be on many DePaul students’ minds when making their voting decisions Nov. 6.