Monday, March 2, 2009

How much do you Owe in Student Loans

Posted on/at 1:17 PM by Wanto

By Steven R. Brooks

College is not cheap. In fact, the cost just seems to keep going up and up. Very few people can actually pay for the entire cost of college out of pocket. Students look to financial aide, grants, scholarships, and loans to pay for college. Student loans are one of the most common ways to pay for college and most college students graduate with student loan debt.

How much are your student loans worth? Did you graduate with a lot of debt? When you went looking for loans, the first loan you got was probably the government Stafford Loan because of the low rate. If you have financial need, you can get the Subsidized Stafford Loan which allows you to not pay interest on it while you are in college.

Besides government loans, there are other lending options. You can go through a student loan service, get a personal loan, have your parents get a loan, take out a second mortgage, or use credit cards. I suggest that you don't take out a second mortgage and that you NEVER use a credit card to pay for college.

If you still can't manage to pay for college, consider going to a cheaper school. Cheaper doesn't necessarily mean worse. State schools are cheaper because they also get money from the government, but they are no less quality.

How can you minimize your loans? The best way to have less loans to pay back is to not take them out in the first place. Unless you are a genius and must go to an Ivy League school, there's no reason why going to a state school wouldn't be smarter for you.

You can save even more money if you go to a community college first then transfer. Community colleges are even cheaper and you'll also save money on room and board because you'll be commuting.

If you can, go to a school nearby, live at home and commute. You can save a lot of money not having to pay for room and board. Many people find living in dorms overrated anyway. At my college, most students ended up getting their own apartments after the first year because they didn't like the dorms. If you stay at home, your parents will continue to support you just as they were before and it won't cost you extra for school fees.

Finally, if you want to help pay for college, get a job. Get a part time job while you are in school and a full time job over the summer to help take a big chunk out of your tuition.

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