Making Informed Choices About Student Debt (NAPSA)—Millions of students are pursuing a college degree in the hope that it leads to a successful career and a meaningful life. It can seem like the only wayto a stable financial future. But is it really? The decision to go to college might seem like an easy choice for some high school graduates; for others it could be challenging,especially if they cart easily affordit. ‘There are many waysto pay for college, including student loans. In considering whether to take out a loan to Paying for college may notbeasdifficult as many peoplethink. invest in one’s future and thereby cap- ture financial gains, it’s helpful to view the process like businesses that borrow funds to invest in expanding their productive capacity. Details matter; how much borrowed can increase or decrease return on investment. Manystudents don't understand how student loan debt will impact financial stability after graduation. According to the U.S. Departmentof Education, as of the end of August 2015, about 7 million Americans with student loans have not made a paymentto the governmentin a year or more. ‘There are several ways to reduce the amount of money borrowed for higher education. Regardless of the approach, it’s important to investigate the cost of education for a given career choice and potential ability to pay off any student debt taken on. In the end, choosing a college or any post-high schoolinstitution is an intensely personal decisionfor individual students andtheir families. Junior Achievement, the world’s leading nonprofit economic education organization, has created a free guide that parents and teens can use to gain a better understanding of making the right choices when it comes to student loans. This guide, “Understanding the Student Loan Explosion,’ can be found at www.JA.org/Influencer.
