Saturday

Student Loan Debt Is Today's Challenge

By Sabastian Cruzz


The costs of higher education keep getting higher and higher. Estimates today say that it takes the average college graduate over ten years to pay off his student loans. Dealing with student loan debt is one of the biggest challenges facing college graduates today.

You might think that there is no way to avoid amassing a great deal of debt if you want to go to college. You might also think that it will take a herculean effort to pay off all of that debt in any amount of reasonable time. Good news is here. It is not impossible to avoid overpaying for college, and paying off your debts is not as hard as it sounds.

Regarding student loan debt, many possibilities exist when making your plans for where, how, and when to study at a university. A great way to keep from having to pay off a huge amount later is to avoid accruing the debt today. It may seem adventurous and fun to run off to a big state school across the country from where you live, but living at home while studying saves you an enormous amount of debt to later have to pay off.

Buying books is an enormous investment that most people planning for college do not even stop to consider. However there are several ways to avoid huge costs in getting the books you need for school. Dozens of businesses today offer programs where you can rent rather than buy your texts. You can then keep the books for 60, 90, or 120 days and return them for a refund of a portion of the cost. If you find that the textbook you need for a class is not available for rent, then hopping on the internet to buy it from a third party will save you a great deal of money.

Finally, a fantastic means of avoiding student loan debt is to apply for as many grants as you can before and during your college years. Filling out a FAFSA is not loads of fun, but the money the federal government has available will make paying off your loans later much less painful. Many small nonprofit groups have scholarships available for undergraduate and graduate programs alike. A simple internet search can pay off handsomely when it comes to saving money for college.

However, once the diploma is on your wall and your post-college career begins, there are several things you can do to reduce the amount you owe. You can also speed up the time it takes to pay it off. One way to speed up this process is to put off other expensive life decisions for a few years while you pay off your student loan debt. Getting married or buying a house or new car may be attractive, but waiting until the bulk of your loans are paid off will save you enormous amounts of money in interest.

As we have seen, paying your loans off as quickly as possible is one good way to save money. There is, however, a fall back plan if you find yourself swamped in huge monthly college loan payments. You can request a deferral if you find that your monthly payments are more than you can afford. Another option is to ask for an extended payment option. Either of these will allow you to continue to at least keep making your payments and avoid late fees.

Believe it or not, staying healthy is a great way to get your student loan debts paid off. Avoiding extremes in alcohol or smoking, exercising, and eating right will keep you working hard. You will avoid getting sick and losing pay. Making more money by staying healthy will allow you to get your debt paid off quickly and begin enjoying a high quality of life you were dreaming of over those books while in school.




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