Share your story about student loan debt

Two-thirds of the national college class of 2011 finished school with loan debt, and those who borrowed walked off the graduation stage owing on average $26,600. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

If you are a college graduate, your degree significantly increases your chances at landing a job—and one that pays much better than those that require only a high school diploma.

But the flip side of that sheepskin for many is student debt, cumulatively now at $1 trillion in the United States. Forty-three percent of American 25-year-olds carry student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

To find personal stories behind those stats, Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance are inviting Americans with student loan debt to share their experiences—whether you’ve just finished school or are still paying down those vexing loan balances years after graduating.

But we’re not only interested in bothersome stories of mounting debt. If your student loans played a vital and positive role in finding a career, securing your diploma, increasing your salary or otherwise improving your life and financial well-being, we want to highlight your story. Or if you are paying off someone else's student loans (your kid's, for instance), we'd like to hear from you, too.

To write your story, learn more at Yahoo Contributor Network. There, you’ll find details about what we’re looking for. Stories that we accept will be published under your byline on Yahoo News. The deadline for submissions is May 13.

We appreciate your participation and look forward to receiving your first-person account.