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.
Go with federal loans first, says Robert Shireman, executive director of the Project on Student Debt. Not only do new federal loans carry a fixed interest rate, but they also are easy to apply for, and offer flexible repayment terms and, in some cases, a government subsidy for part of the interest. As with other loans that are used for higher education, you can deduct interest payments of up to $2,500 per year.