Earning a college degree or credential can be life changing and economically sustaining. That is why it is critically important that America's system of public colleges remain affordable for all Americans. However, Center for American Progress (CAP) analysis estimates that annual student-loan borrowing increased by $17 billion in the five years since the beginning of the Great Recession. Moreover, annual borrowing per student increased by a median of $1,285 during that same time span. An affordable, quality college education must remain a central pillar of the nation's policy agenda. CAP recommends the creation of a Public College Quality Compact--an investment from the federal government matched with state reinvestment--that would prompt a resurgence of postsecondary education degree attainment and, at the same time, ensure that this education is affordable for low- and moderate-income Americans. This issue brief examines the increased reliance on loans by students attending public institutions and presents state-by-state data on the spike in federal student-loan borrowing since the onset of the Great Recession. Further, this brief details the proposed Public College Quality Compact, which CAP believes is the best solution to address affordability and ensure that public colleges continue to be an engine for economic mobility.