When Samantha Ferguson applied to university in 2003, she turned to private student loans to finance her education. That's because she wanted to study politics in Scotland and couldn't get federal student loans to study abroad. So she borrowed just over $104,000 from Sallie Mae, a major private student-loan lender. Ferguson graduated in 2008. Now 40, she's paid $200,000 toward her loan — and still has a $137,000 balance. "They're so debilitating, so crippling," Ferguson said of her loans. "I