"As of 2013, outstanding student loan balances in the US exceeded $1.2 trillion, more than any other type of household debt with the exception of mortgages." So write William Gale, Benjamin Harris, Bryant Renaud and Katherine Rodihan, authors of "Student Loans Rising: Overview of Causes, Consequences, and Policy Options," a paper from theĀ Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. The tables below are described in the paper: