Student loan debt has become a widespread problem: 43.3 million Americans have it, with the total debt being over $1.3 trillion. The average debt for the 2016 graduate was over $37,000. While not a whole lot can be done to cut college costs, students do have some options, which the American Consumer Council partnered with Kim Curtis to go over in this video: Choosing Your Major Should you follow your passion? Absolutely. Should you try to incorporate your passion into a lucrative career? Definitely. Choosing a major that consistently sees higher than average salaries will increase your chances of getting…

Planning ahead for college is not just about getting good grades and accumulating a list of extracurriculars and awards. It’s also a process of understanding how to pay for tuition and living expenses during the college years. Parents tend to focus on a college degree as the payoff for all the time, effort, and money they have invested in education. They invest a lot to help their child get accepted to good schools and get situated comfortably. But completing high school and entering college marks typically involves student loan debt as well. The payoff for anyone with student loan debt is budgeting successfully for monthly…

There’s no doubting it; college is expensive. For most students, the cost is worthwhile because of the earnings potential that exists on the other side, but what about the here and now? Did you know being a college student could get you all kinds of discounts? Here are three excellent places to save with your college ID. 1.) Save big on Amazon Prime Amazon offers a specialized Amazon Prime discount that’s just for college students. For those unfamiliar, Amazon Prime is a membership program that offers free shipping on most products sold on Amazon. Just by providing them with a…

Believe it or not, summer break is right around the corner. For many teens, they’ve already got a very simple plan: sleep in, hang out with friends, and stay up late. If you’re looking for a break from the norm, consider taking this summer to do some self-improvement that will have a positive impact on your life for every summer yet to come. If you want to do something this summer that will increase your first adult paycheck, let’s start with these three fun activities! 1.) Learn a foreign language We live in a global society. Whether you want to…

With stories of data breaches and identity theft continuing to pop up, it’s important to look at another popular scam: college financial aid fraud. Students are at risk of having their personal information taken by criminals, or simply falling for a service they don’t need to shell out the big bucks for. FAFSA Facts FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. There are zero costs to apply – it only takes your time. There are also plenty of free resources to help you fill it out. Applications can (and should) be filled out at fafsa.gov. What To Watch Out…