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When I first graduated from college, I joked that I'd be in student loan debt forever. However, this made light of what has become a very real situation for senior citizens now facing debt in retirement. Senior citizens now owe $18 billion in student loan debt.

Debt is frustrating for all, but for senior citizens, it's dangerous. Young adults have years to increase their income and work towards payoff, while seniors rely on retirement, savings, or social security alone. And those incomes don't often increase, usually staying stable at best. What's worse, the older seniors get, the more likely they are to default:

Default rates have also been rising with a debtor's age, the report found. While only 12% of federal student loans belonging to people ages 25 to 49 were in default in 2013, that rate spiked to 27% for Americans between 65 and 74 years old, and to more than 50% for people 75 and older. — CNN Money

Default won't get them out of debt — in fact, it could lead to social security and tax garnishment. Like all debt, the best option is to take control now, no matter how dire the situation may seem.

Help for senior citizens in student loan debt

Senior citizens don't often have increasing income to help them get out of debt. What they do have is the Income Based Repayment Plan, which caps monthly student loan payments at 15% of income. Another option is forbearance, although it's a short-term solution.

They could also consolidate their student loans* at a lower interest rate to decrease the monthly payment. However, it should only be done at a fixed rate. Variable rates come lower but can increase at a moment's notice, thus increasing chances of another financial bind.

How to ensure that you won't be in student loan debt into retirement

If you're a young or middle aged adult with student loan debt, let this statistic bring to light the importance of paying off student loan debt asap.

You could try boosting student loan debt repayment (even on a tight income) by making biweekly payments, which can significantly decrease the life of your loan and total interest paid.

Student loan debt consolidation* may also be an option. Again, a fixed rate is better, but if your budget can handle a possible rate increase, you may be able to explore a variable rate if it's signifcantly lower.

You could also take on opportunities to earn extra money to apply to those balances. The more unencumbered you are, the easier this is to do.

It's more important than ever to understand how to get student loan debt under control. Visit this student loan debt resource center for more information on your options.

*Note: If your student loans are federal, consolidation done through private lenders will take away your option s for forbearance, deferment, and forgiveness ... something to keep in mind.