Americans have lived through all of this debate before. The Keystone XL debate is almost an exact replay of a similar policy clash during the early 1970s over whether to build a similar multibillion-dollar project: the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The Alaska project was eventually approved by Congress in 1973 and completed in 1978, but only after fierce debate.
Private student loan interest rates are determined by the lender that made the loan and are based on your credit history and your cosigner, if you have one. The interest rate may be variable or fixed for the life of the loan, depending on the contract you signed when you took out the loan.
Rates vary depending on the length of repayment â typically a shorter term yields a lower rate â and the borrower's credit. Variable-rate loans tend to have a lower rate but run the risk of that rate rising over time. [Read about how to start student loan payment off right from the first payment.]