Doubling over with debt


Research annual salaries


"You want to think about 'What is my estimated salary going to be?' But even given that, things change," she says. "... You can certainly graduate with a degree in something and then wind up working in a completely different field."


Investigate your school


When eyeing schools, Lanza recommends that students research "How many students graduate, what their success rate is for repaying student loans, how much student loan debt they take on and then also their earning potential. These are things that students might want to consider researching before they attend a school and before they take out loans."

Stay within federal limits


Federal student loan programs will have more options than private loan programs for managing the debt, adds Lanza. "With federal loans, in almost every case there really is a payment plan to fit any situation."

Lanza says that federal loans come with significant borrower protections including low interest rates, the option to postpone payments in cases of unemployment or financial hardship, the ability to extend the life of the loan, payment caps according to the borrower's income and loan forgiveness provisions. If you need to go beyond the $27,000 allotted to undergrads over four years, Lanza says to do some research.

"Find out what are my repayment options, what does happen if I run into trouble. Are there options for forbearance?" she advises. "Really look at the small print before taking on a private loan."


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