HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Student Loan Debt Weighs Down Recovery. “Finally, we have some (arguably) good economic news: Americans’ credit levels have returned to their pre-recession peak of $2.58 trillion. This is usually a good sign for the economy. Higher credit means more consumers are shopping, more banks are lending, and confidence in general is up. But as the Wall Street Journal points out, this news comes with a caveat, and it’s a big one.Sstudent loan debt accounts for nearly one-third of that figure and is now second only to mortgage debt as the leading form of debt held by Americans. This seriously undercuts the otherwise good economic news, as student loan debt provides a considerably smaller boost to the overall economy than other forms.”