A couple years ago, ME passed a policy called "Opportunity Maine". It offers tax credits and school loan repayment in return for a commitment from students to stay in state for 4 years post-graduation. This was developed both to help students pay for college and to curb the "brain drain" out of the state.

Opportunity Nation would be similar, in that it would help pay back (if not cover all) students' loans, in exchange for x number of years of national service following graduation. These young people would staff a new Peace Corp, Green Corp, Teaching Corp, Medical Corp (potentially Defense Corp)--essentially a New Deal Corp.

Opportunity Nation would combine Obama's commitment to national service with a solution to the student debt crisis, and create a massive force of young people dedicated to the rebuilding of this country.

Opportunity Nation would be a more ambitious program than current proposals around national service, which are modeled after Americorp (of which i was a participant). Americorp limits the ability for lower-income young people to participate by offering very small amounts of aid, and asking participants to live on poverty wages. This means that the students most inclined to participate are young people from middle-income families, who can afford not to get a "real job" directly out of school.

Young people WANT to work for this country's future. We need to provide the opportunity and financial incentive to make this a reality.