tuition.gifCollege costs increase at about twice the inflation rate. Current increases have averaged 5% to 8%.

It is no secret that college tuition and expenses have been on a steady rise for many years. This has many families worried that they will not be able to afford to send their kids to college. Many even shy away from encouraging their children to dream of a college education. Trade skills are almost being forced on the younger generation. The daunting and staggering college costs are changing the way that we raise our kids.

Imagine if you were told not to dream. What if you told your parents that you wanted to be a doctor and they just had to turn you down? What does this do to the self esteem of a young child? Many families, college educated or not, struggle to keep up with housing costs and the cost of living in general. Saving for college simply is not in the cards for a lot more families than many would like to believe. What does this mean for the future of our country?

We are trending towards generation after generation of minimum wage and poverty level workers. What happens then? They can not afford college for their children and so the cycle continues. If you have been worried about affording college for your children, then there are some things that you should realize.

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college_degree_250x251.jpgAn education loan is a form of financial aid that must be repaid, with interest. Student loans also provide a variety of deferment options and extended repayment terms.

Student and graduate loans are becoming more popular as student debt continues to rise and students seek alternative ways of dealing with it. The good news is that student or graduate loans are generally available without the need to show steady income or offer security. This is extremely helpful, as most students will not have either of these.

Student and graduate loans also come at relatively good interest rates, particularly having regard to the fact that they are completely unsecured. The thing to be wary of is that such loans may lock the student into a long-term relationship with the lender that may not be the most advantageous one.

Graduate loans on the other hand, are far more expensive than student loans. These loans are generally offered on graduation, when student loans are no longer available, to cover the costs of transition from student life to working life. This may include finding a new place to live, buying work clothes etc.

Graduate loans will also be used to pay off student overdrafts, which are offered to all students as standard features of their bank accounts. The point to remember is that while graduate loans are relatively cheap when compared to personal loans, they are far more expensive than student loans.

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