Staring Down The $12 Trillion National Debt

The national debt and federal budget deficit affects all of us, by shaping the choices we face each day, but the younger you are, the greater the chance of living a large chunk of your life under the shadow of the nation's fiscal crisis. Unless, of course, something is done.

Students interested in shaping their world with new, more fiscally prudent choices, have until Dec. 11 to enter our essay and multimedia contest on this subject. To learn more, check out our newsroom, our Twitter feed and this article on a brainstorming session held by college students inWashington, D.C.