StudentDebt

Do You Have More Debt Than the Average American?

A new study shows that individual debt is falling at the fastest rate in nearly 50 years. But not everyone is contributing positively to that statistic, and many Americans are still struggling with overwhelming debt.

This Bright-Eyed Young Man Was Utterly Demolished By Student Loans

Even as total outstanding student debt rises to $1 trillion, lawmakers have yet to allow loans to be discharged in bankruptcy. Without an escape clause, these loans can strangle a person. Take 36-year-old Nick Keith, who remains $142,000 eight years after graduating from culinary school.

What Happened When This Guy Paid His Student Loan in Cash

Last week, a Reddit user posted a photo of a $114,000 student loan bill-paid in cash-that elicited thousands of comments. Since then, the anonymous alum has stepped forward as Alex Kenjeev, a 2009 law school graduate of the University of Toronto.

How Low Interest Rates Could Push College Costs Even Higher

With so many young adults struggling with college debt, maintaining the current low 3.4% interest rate on Stafford loans sounds like a no-brainer. But former Education Secretary William Bennett thinks low rates will only lead colleges to become more expensive.

Student Loans: Your 5-Step Plan to Pay Them Off

The economy seems to be turning around for recent college grads, so members of the class of 2012 may have the cash to make a dent in their massive student loans. Now all they need is a plan.

Is This the Answer to the Student Debt Crisis? FixUC's 5% Solution

College tuition just keeps rising, and student loan debt is at an all-time high, leading to hefty loan payments that can overwhelm earners early in their careers. But a group called FixUC has a radical proposal to re-think tuition that could make everyone happy.

Recovery Threatened by Runaway Student Loan Debt

Surging above $1 trillion, U.S. student loan debt has surpassed credit card and auto-loan debt. This debt explosion jeopardizes the fragile recovery, increases the burden on taxpayers and possibly sets the stage for a new economic crisis.

Can't Get a Mortgage? Blame Your Student Loans

With college costs high and rising, more students are putting themselves deeper into debt than ever. But those huge debt loads don't just pressure graduates to find high-paying jobs: They're also making it nearly impossible for many of them to get mortgages.

Good Reasons to Love Those Darn Student Loans

With student loan default rates rising due to persistently high unemployment rates, it's easy to vilify the seemingly endless monthly payments that follow graduation. But take a closer look, and you'll find that the news about student loans is more good than bad.

How I Paid for College on a Paperboy's Salary

I know what a daunting task it is to pay for college. But it's not impossible -- even on a paperboy's income. I did it, and hopefully some of what I learned on the route to college graduate will help inspire you, your kids, or your local paper carrier.

Grad School Math: Which Degrees Are Worth the Debt

With unemployment high and wages stagnant, now's a rough time to be entering the job market. Historically, when a harsh economy awaits, young people tend to run for cover in grad school. It's a smart strategy -- unless you pick the wrong field of study.

Tweak Your Major, Transform Your Job Prospects

Unemployment among recent college grads is at 9.3% -- but not for every major. The good news is, you can follow your skills and passions and still find a job. The highest-unemployment majors are often related to options that use the same skills, but offer much better odds of a job.

Should Law Schools Pay Some Students to Drop Out?

Two Yale professors have proposed an interesting solution to the nation's oversupply of lawyers. Have law schools offer tuition refunds to first year students if they quit. The National Association of Law Schools, not surprisingly, rejected the idea.

10 Private Colleges Where Student Debt Is Lowest

Recent graduates from private colleges and universities walked away from commencement with an average of $28,100 in student debt, according to The College Board. But not every school leaves its alumni so far in the hole.

New College Grad? Hope You Learned to Tend Bar

When history tallies up the biggest losers of the Great Recession, it's not hard to guess who will top the list. Facing a brutal job market, plummeting wages, and a mountain of debt, many recent college grads have fallen behind before they've officially started their careers.

Decades Later, Student Loan Default Still Haunts Her

President Obama recently announced a plan to provide relief to student loan borrowers, but for the millions already in default on such loans, that help comes too late. Failure to repay those loans can wreck your finances permanently. Casey Zimmerman Thompson is a cautionary tale: More than two decades ago, she borrowed just $7,100.

How to Go to College Without Going Broke

Between rising tuition and a weak job market, some pundits argue that higher education isn't worth the money anymore. But college grads on average earn more than twice as much as workers with only a high school diploma. So how can you get a degree without spending the rest of your life in debt?

Average Student Debt Hits Record High in 2010: $25,250

A report released on Thursday by the Institute for College Access & Success's Project on Student Debt shows that members of the class of 2010 who took out loans to finance their educations owed an average of $25,250 in student debt at graduation -- a 5% increase from the year before.

Help Your Kids Save While They're Still in School

So your resident college student is knee-deep in student loans, tuition, fees and rent payments. But infusing her bank account will sap the funds you have earmarked for your retirement. What's a concerned parent to do? Help her start building up some savings of her own. Here's how:

10 Worst States for Student Debt

The amount of student loan debt in America will exceed $1 trillion this year, and this week, President Obama acted to ease the burden on millions of college graduates. Which states need that help the most? 24/7 Wall Street breaks down the 10 states with the worst levels of student debt.

Obama's Student Loan Plan: Could You Pay Less?

The Obama administration estimates that close to 8 million borrowers will be affected by its new student loan initiative. That's not even a quarter of those paying down college debt, but with nearly $1 trillion owed, it's still a big deal. Here's what you need to know about the plan.

Tips for Pricing a College Before You Apply

How do you avoid sending your kid off into the world without a pile of student loan debt? One key is to figure out the real, bottom-line price of a specific college -- before you apply. DailyFinance's Laura Rowley explains.

Are College Cost Calculators Flunking the Math?

Oct. 29 is the deadline for U.S. colleges to put "net price calculators" on their websites -- tools intended to estimate the real cost of attending for each specific student. But the most widely adopted calculator is inaccurate -- to the tune of thousands of dollars, experts say.

Balancing Student Loans With Saving for Retirement

A 52-year-old single mom needs to save for retirement, but her cash flow is strangled by rising student loan payments for herself and her sons. How can she minimize her loan payments and free up cash for retirement savings? DailyFinance's Laura Rowley offers some tips.

Student Loans Coming Due? Advice for the Class of 2011

When you graduate college, you've got six months before you have to start repaying your student loans. For members of the class of 2011, that grace period ends soon, but all too many of them haven't found jobs and can't afford to start making those payments. We asked John Ulzheimer of SmartCredit.com to discuss their options.

College Dropouts Cost U.S. Billions in Lost Earnings

When students drop out of college, it's not just disappointing for them and their parents -- it's also bad news for Uncle Sam, and even for their next-door neighbors. According to a new report, a single year's worth of dropouts cost the nation $4.5 billion in lost income, and lost federal and state income taxes.

10 Colleges with the Best Financial Aid

Worried about how to pay for college? The Princeton Review this week released its financial-aid ratings for more than 600 U.S. colleges. Find out which ones came out on top.

How Colleges Are Still Getting Rich Off Your Kids

For years, credit card companies have targeted college students to gain access to a lucrative source of profits: student debt. And despite laws designed to stop the practice, colleges and universities are still taking huge payments from card companies -- at your kids' expense.