[JustJo]

I managed to get my BA back in 1984 without taking out any loans....PELL grants were a bit more generous, there was all the "work study" help we could manage to fit in, and I worked a full time job on the side. It meant that my studies and my GPA suffered...but at least I didn't graduate with debt.

I went back after a 20 year absence and got an MS and an MBA. I was still working full time, but also covering a mortgage, supporting my son, etc. I went to a very reasonably priced university and ended up after 4 years with about $45K in debt.

My salary increased by about 2/3 within 2 weeks of graduation.

I pay $325 a month, for 25 years...because I couldn't afford the original $500 a month and had to refinance them. The interest is partially, but not completely, tax deductible. If I pay them back on schedule I'll pay a total of $97,500 for the original $45,000 I borrowed.

It's worth it for me, but it is a burden. I do not have the freedom to take a lower paying job because it's something I love....because I have this debt to pay. I can't choose to not work for awhile....because I have this debt to pay.

I'll be paying for my son's college education at the same time I'm paying back for my own, and also trying to save for retirement. My last student loan payment is due the month after my 70th birthday. Guess who will not be taking an early retirement....despite having worked steadily since I was 15.

I do hear of people with more than $100K in debt for a BA...and honestly have to question what in the heck they were thinking, or who was selling them a bill of goods at the college they attended. Some degrees are worth the debt, and some simply aren't.