In recent years, there has been a growing interest in college access and with it, a growing concern about the debt incurred by students. Analysts on all sides suggest a variety of causes and solutions to this very complex problem. This paper presents a collection of informational items that can be seen as both disparate and connected. We can see that the attainment of a college degree is a fundamental part of our culture, as is debt. Federal student loan policies seem to favor the use of student loan debt to finance college during a time when family savings rates were at the lowest level since 1933 and bankruptcies increased. At the same time, student loan defaults seemingly declined, although much of the decline can be attributed to policies not directly related to changes in consumer behavior. The report highlights the following topics: (1) College as part of the American Dream, (2) Historical changes in Federal appropriations directed to higher education, (3) National economic trends associated with college financing, (4) What college students perceive about borrowing, (5) References. (Contains 2 tables and 14 figures.)