Narrowing down career options can help you borrow a smart amount.
Student loans are a popular way for students to cover some of the costs of college. But is borrowing for an education a good idea?
"Taking out a loan to pay for your education is an investment in yourself and your future," says Suzanna de Baca, vice president of wealth strategies at Ameriprise Financial. "At the highest level, it's a very positive use of debt. But like any debt, you do want to make sure you are not taking out an excessive amount, and that you will have the ability to repay it."
There's no one right number for all students to borrow, de Baca notes, but following these steps can help you arrive at a manageable amount:
1. Estimate your full cost of college: Figuring out what college will cost is not often a quick calculation—but it's a crucial step toward borrowing the correct amount of loan debt for you, de Baca advises.
"The first thing that any student needs to do is really, truly understand what the cost of their education is going to be," de Baca says. "People look at tuition and think, 'Oh, that's what I need.' They don't really make a good list of all the different expenses that are involved, and then match that with various ways to actually meet those needs."
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When you're comparing financial aid packages from colleges, make sure you're factoring in costs including room, board, school materials, and transportation. Don't forget to factor in other means you'll use to cover costs, including grants and scholarships from schools, savings, and potential earnings from a part-time job.
2. Take only what you need: Student loans aren't free money. You'll pay back what you take and then some, after interest is accounted for—so make sure to be frugal when possible, de Baca recommends.
"Student loans are really intended for tuition, books, and room and board," she says. "The room and board is probably where there's some fungibility in terms of how a student might be thinking about their money. Students should try to keep their living and entertainment expenses as low as possible and not use those funds in inappropriate ways."
3. Research your earning potential: For a student loan burden to be manageable, the total amount you owe should be less than your starting salary after graduation, notes Mark Kantrowitz, founder of FastWeb.com and FinAid.org.
"If your total student loan debt is less than your annual income, you'll be able to repay that debt in about 10 years," he says.
Forecasting your future at age 17 might seem hard, but researching the published salaries of recent graduates—both from colleges you're considering and majors you're interested in—can pay off down the road. To get started, explore online offerings such as NerdWallet's college comparison tool, which lists average starting salaries by major and college.
4. Think long term: It can be challenging to think about bills that won't come for years, but it's critical to consider the month-to-month implications of what you borrow. That's a commonly skipped step when it comes to taking a student loan, de Baca of Ameriprise Financial says.
Students can find repayment calculators online, including through financial aid sites FinAid.org and PayBackSmarter.com, that can help estimate monthly student loan payments. If you have a rough estimate of an average starting salary for your intended field, that's even better. Experts typically advise that monthly payments of roughly 10 percent of your income is manageable.
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