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College is expensive. There’s no doubt about it. But, an education is necessary to maintain a good quality of life. So, you might be looking to borrow money to finance your education. The question then is: “How much money should I borrow?”

Well, nobody can tell you that for sure. This truly depends on your own situation, but there are general guidelines that you should follow to avoid going into a hole of debt that you can barely dig yourself out of.

Firstly, you should know about the types of money you can borrow. The federal government offers loans to students (Stafford loans) that have perks that private loans do not have. For subsidized Stafford loans, the government pays the interest that accrues while the student is in school. The student is responsible for the interest on unsubsidized loans. Generally, one should turn to federal loans first because they tend to have lower interest rates than do private loans. Private loans are a different beast entirely. Unlike Stafford loans, they have no borrowing limits. But, they also tend to have higher interest rates.

So if you intend to borrow money for college, by all means check out federal options first. Many experts recommend not maxing out on federal borrowing limits. (Think about it: if you do then you will have already borrowed $27,000). When it comes to private loans, seriously think about your career outlook. Yes, you can borrow 100,000 grand to pay for an Ivy League education. But if you plan to major in religious studies, this might not be such a great idea.

Debt really limits your options. Generally, one should not borrow more than they can expect to make within one year out of college. So by borrowing more than $40,000 for an undergraduate degree, a college student limits his or herself to those jobs that pay more than $40,000—a small and specialized few, or puts his or herself into an unmanageable amount of debt.

To someone facing a $50,000 or more tuition bill each year, borrowing only $5,000 or $6,000 a year may not seem doable. But, it’s for the best. If you can’t afford those high price tags, look at cheaper in-state options. Do two years of your degree at a community college and then transfer into a 4-year institution. Look for scholarships and grants. But, by all means do not dig yourself into a whole by borrowing too much money.

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Celia Lemke

Lvl 10
4y ago

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