On Friday, President Barack Obama met with college students at
the White House to reprise a familiar appeal on behalf of the
nation's young people: urging lawmakers to prevent the cost of
student college loans from doubling on July 1. Interest rates on
Stafford student loans are set to rise from the current 3.4
percent to 6.8 percent at the end of this month unless Congress
acts, an increase the president says would add an extra $1,000 a
year to the cost of a college education for most students.  This
isn't the first time Mr. Obama has appealed to Congress to hold
the line on college loan costs. Last year the president went on
a barnstorming tour of college campuses to draw attention to the
issue after GOP House leaders offered a budget plan that made no
provision for keeping the lower rate. Eventually Congress
relented, but rather than make the low-cost loans permanent,
lawmakers agreed only to a temporary fix that left rates where
they were for 12 months, thus ensuring another political fight
over the issue