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.
Because of this, they typically carry lower interest rates than other types of loans and debts. Still, your exact interest rate is based on what type of loan you take out. Federal student loans tend to come with low interest rates, especially if they are need-based.