Seniors Going Out and Debt Coming In
By: Laila Stewart
November 20, 2023
With Carver seniors preparing for college students are having a plethora of concerns regarding student debt having an impact on their upcoming decisions.
Many seniors are completing and filling out their college applications along with dealing with FASFA. However, with the help of teachers from Senior Seminar, students are still worried about how student debt may influence their actions.
“ I feel like you know, if I put the work in, you know, get my scholarships, right. Do everything I need to do” Said Rashan Hembry a senior at Carver E&S “ I feel like student debt wouldn't be as high but you know, it will still be a detriment,” When asked if worried about student debt.
54 percent of college undergraduates finish college with student loan debt. The average college student borrows $29,100 in loans to pay for their degrees.
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid initiated temporary relief for federal student loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education by suspending loan payments. Federal student loan interest resumed on September 1, 2023, and payments restarted in October 2023.
“And I would say it definitely affects me because my debt that I currently have is something that I'm now paying once again monthly, which means that it's taken away from my total amount of income that I've had.” Said Paul Wagenhoffer a teacher at Carver E&S. “ And since the pandemic, I have bought a house. And since the pandemic, we didn't have to pay back our student loans.”
Student loans are something that has an effect on everyone, and most likely a lot of people you may know. Even if you don’t attend college yourself, it’s more than likely you’ll know someone who has student debt.
College debt is not yet on seniors, yet it is having an impact on the choices that they make in college.
"I wouldn't say affected my college experience, but it certainly affected the schools that I chose to attend." Wagenhoffer said.
“Take that into account. Like oh, yeah, student my student debt. So I gotta worry about my spending...” Hembry said.
Money isn't something that should have an effect on students in college or make their decisions for them.
Though college may seem months away, it is closer than seniors think. Debt can be one disadvantage in a whole college world out filled of advantages. Don't let one thing keep you away from others.
"You know, don't be afraid to you know, maybe, you know live " Paul Wagenhoffer