CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski is visiting a community college in Cumberland to promote her ideas for making higher education more affordable.

Others scheduled to attend the event Wednesday at Allegany College of Maryland include students and administrators from the Cumberland school, Frostburg State University and Garrett College.

The Maryland Democrat launched what she calls her “college affordability tour” in September. She’s promoting a bill that would enable students or college graduates who took out loans before 2010 to refinance those loans at today’s low interest rate.

Mikulski says the heavy burden of student loan debt puts the future of young graduates and the U.S. economy at risk.

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