| Loans are almost inevitable for many people. If you | | | | to go to college full time, so the get a job and take |
| ever want to buy a house, buy a brand new car, or | | | | graduate classes part time. If you get a well-paying |
| go to college, there is a good chance you will have to | | | | job, that is great. You can quickly pay off your loans, |
| take out a loan. Going to college is a huge source of | | | | save for a house, and get going with your life. If you |
| loans for people, especially for those going to a very | | | | decide to go for more professional schooling, such as |
| expensive college. | | | | medical school, dental school, or law school, you have |
| When you get your tuition bill, the first thing you do | | | | several cheap living years ahead of you and more |
| is think about how you are going to pay for it. Do | | | | student loans to tack on. Usually this works out |
| you get any financial aide? Do you have any | | | | because you can make a lot of money with these |
| scholarships that can help pay for it? Do you have | | | | careers soon after you graduate. |
| any money saved from your job? Will your parents | | | | If you are unfortunate enough to get a low paying |
| help pay for any of it? When all other sources of | | | | job out of college, as many are, you can be in a tight |
| money are gone, you turn to loans. | | | | situation. Even with a degree, it's hard to get a high |
| Now that you have graduated from college, you | | | | paying job out of college. It will take years of |
| probably have a wide variety of loans to pay off. | | | | experience, promotions, and raises to get to a |
| The Stafford loan is a very common student | | | | comfortable income. The real problem is that most if |
| government loan. It is offered in a subsidized or | | | | the big expenses occur when you are young out of |
| unsubsidized version. If you were lucky enough to | | | | college. You need to pay off your loans and try to |
| get an unsubsidized Stafford loan, the government | | | | save. |
| has been paying the interest for you throughout | | | | If you have lots of loans and the payments are |
| college. You may also have a Perkins loan, Graduate | | | | outrageous, you can soften the blow. Try to |
| PLUS loan if you went to graduate school, personal | | | | consolidate your student loans. If you have several |
| loans, private loans, and credit card debt from cards | | | | government loans as well as private loans, you can |
| you used to pay for tuition, buy books, or use | | | | consolidate them into one loan with a lower |
| throughout college. These add up to a lot of money | | | | consistent interest rate and effectively lower your |
| that you owe. | | | | monthly payments. This can be a huge help when |
| After college, you either go to graduate school, get a | | | | you are just starting out. |
| job, or do both. Most people can't afford to continue | | | | |