India, April 7 -- Amanda Lynn Tully who is 37 shocked many when she moved to Prague less than a year after graduating and leaving behind $65,000 in federal student loans and not making a single payment in over seven years.

She grew up as a ward of the state in Colorado and thought a college degree would give her a better life. Instead, she finished two degrees and still couldn't find a job and faced a huge debt she didn't know how to handle.

With 7.7 million Americans now defaulting on federal student loans, Tully's case is not unique, but it has become one of the most talked-about examples of a growing student debt crisis after the New York Times reported on her.

Here are 5 things to know about Amanda Lynn Tully:

Amanda Lynn Tully ha...