ELGIN – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin met Friday with officials from Elgin Community College for a closer look at the college’s successful loan counseling program.

Durbin introduced a bill in March called “Know Before You Owe,” which requires schools to counsel students before they accept expensive or unnecessary student loans.

ECC has had a model in place since fall 2011 that includes mandatory one-on-one loan counseling sessions between students and financial aid administrators. Durbin was at Elgin to learn more about how the program has helped students avoid burdensome debt.