More than one-third of America's future social workers and nearly a quarter of its educators will have trouble paying off debt, according to a study released by the state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs).

The study, "Paying Back, Not Giving Back: Student Debt's Negative Impact on Public Service Career Opportunities," said 37 percent of graduates from four-year public colleges will be in too much debt to manage as an entry-level social worker.

It also said 23 percent could not live comfortably on a teacher's salary.

Sixteen percent of graduates who teach in Pennsylvania cannot repay their debt effectively, said state PIRGs' higher education associate Luke Swarthout, who wrote the study.

"While the average for Pennsylvania is lower than the national average, it's still an alarming percentage of students struggling to pay off their loans," he said. "Having such a high percentage of students facing burdensome debt has consequences both for specific professions of high social value and the entire economy."

Some Penn State students say they're aware of the possible complications facing them after graduation.

"I know a lot of education majors don't end up becoming teachers," Rebecca Schapira (freshman-education) said. "It can be really hard with a lot of debt."

However, Dan Grow, coordinator of Penn State certification and education services, said the problem is not low salaries, but missing opportunities.

For example, he said some school districts give teachers raises if they complete additional training courses at the expense of the school.

"Students tend to look for jobs in their hometowns, but they have to be willing to look somewhere else to find these great opportunities," he said.

Ivy Wolinsky (senior-Spanish education) will be student teaching at Council Rock School District in Bucks County in the fall and said she hopes to be offered a job the following school year.

"Hopefully, it won't be too hard to find a job for teaching Spanish," she said.

"But for elementary education majors, it could be more difficult to find a job. If you can't find a good job, it'll be a long time before you can pay off the debt," Wolinsky added.

In 2005, the average starting salary for social workers was $27,163, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

On that salary, Swarthout said, social workers can afford to pay $140 a month toward their loans, the equivalent of paying off a $12,153 loan.

But 37 percent of four-year public college graduates have to pay off loans larger than $12,153.

Penn State Director of Financial Aid Bob Snyder doesn't look at students' majors when they enter the office for assistance.

"We make it very clear to students that they should borrow only what they need and no more," he said.

"They're limited in their Stafford loans, but private loans are another story," Snyder said.

Swarthout said the report offers some solutions to the problem, including increasing need-based grant aid, adjusting repayment plans, protecting student borrowers and controlling tuition.

Increasing aid would reduce the amount of money students would have to borrow and eventually pay back, he said.

"Loan repayment policies must be improved, so they do not push borrowers into poverty or discourage people from getting a college degree," Swarthout said.

Snyder said students interested in teaching or doing social work need to take debt into consideration when applying to college.

"I believe in higher education," he said. "But it isn't a one-year commitment; it's a four- or five-year commitment."