Faced with having to make a decision between the career they want and one that will pay enough for them to climb out of debt, many college students are choosing the latter. This trend has alarmed some observers and has revived interest in an idea once thought to be a relic of the Clinton administration: income-contingent repayment. Legislation being considered in Congress would cut interest rates on student loans for the neediest students and cap interest payments at a percentage of monthly income, among other changes. Supporters say the Student Debt Relief Act would free students from having to make decisions about employment based on their loan debt. Over the past decade, growth in tuition and fees has outpaced both inflation and median family income. Since 1992 the annual amount of federal loans borrowed by both undergraduates and graduates has grown to $50-billion from about $19-billion. Proposed changes for a reauthorized Higher Education Act would provide debt forgiveness after 10 years or repayment for students who take a public-service job. All other students would have their loans forgiven after 25 years. In addition, the bill would cut interest rates in half on new loans for the neediest students and would also cap student-loan payments at 15 percent of each graduate's monthly income. Although the measure would affect only federal loans, not funds borrowed from private lenders, supporters of the new measure say it could reduce the amount of private borrowing and help students afford college and pursue their goals afterward.