Katie Blount, a 40-year-old mother, is still waiting for her first job interview six months after receiving a teaching degree from Trinity Christian College.

The wait has come at a price. Blount, a Johnsburg resident and former school bus driver, left her job nearly two years ago to pursue higher education in hopes of adding to her family’s household income.

To do so, Blount racked up $15,000 in student loan debt – the bulk of which she said she will start repaying in August. With no job prospects on the horizon, her frustration is mounting.