Student loans are nasty little buggers that entice naive college students with the promise of education and riches. Ok, maybe not riches. Definitely not riches. I hate to admit it, but I was one of those naive college students. Despite college scholarships (lost from changing majors) and working throughout school, I depended on student loans to get me through college. I was one of the lucky ones that fell in the “out of luck” bracket of having too much money to get financial aid and not enough money to pay for school.
What Happened?
I attended a state university for my undergraduate degree (Psychology). I worked 20+ hours each semester, and for 8 out of 9 semesters, I earned a 4.00 GPA. You think with that kind of setup, I would have sailed through college with minimal debt. Ha!
I then attended the same state university for my graduate degrees (Masters of Education in Counseling and Human Services & Education Specialist). I again worked 20+ hours per week and maintained a high GPA.
The result?
$83,762 in Student Loan Debt
How does that happen?
Tuition, Fees, Living Expenses, Travel Expenses, Unexpected Expenses, More Expenses, Additional Expenses. Part of me believes college is a huge scam to make Universities and Loan Companies filthy rich.
So where am I now?
I’m working on obtaining a School Counseling position, which will pay an amazing $30,000/year before taxes. I’m currently finishing up my graduate degree and working too many hours (helping individuals with mental illnesses).
What’s the solution?
Aside from tight budgeting, working extra jobs, delaying starting a family, fearing my 18 year-old car will break down, and only dreaming about buying a house – this is it. The solutions we have right now are painful. I’m praying I can use my talent, education, and experience to not only help individuals I work with each day, but reach thousands of more through this blog.
What’s the Student Loan Experiment?
How many readers will make a small donation for the content they read here? Will it ever be enough to pay off that huge student loan while I’m busy trying to make the world a better place? THAT is the experiment.
How can I help?
I appreciate you asking that! Feel free to make a safe and secure donation through PayPal HERE.
Thank You For Joining in my Fight Against Student Loans!
Amount Raised so Far: $16.00
Happy Lists 
What a really neat idea. I hope many help you a little at a time.
wow! an excellent idea! though relying on the goodness of humanity appears is somewhat fruitless..
so .. why not try http://www.reviewme.com or http://incomeadvice.co.za/
no – I’m not linked in anyway (my blog is too radical to be of use to them!)
If you can think of a way I can help, leave a comment where you left the last one – money I can give, but have no credit card. Blog I can do, write I can do,
Wow, that’s a big student loan. Mine isn’t so bad but it really does hang over one’s head like a big black cloud. Good luck with your blog; I really hope it works out successfully for you 🙂
I’m still working on getting that high of a debt in student loans….with a 4.0, being a single parent and working as little as possible….but when I get the chance…it sounds like you are doing some wonderful work, and I’d love to add a bit to your fundraiser. Great idea!
Well if you plan to work for a school look for the new government programs that will pay back up to 20k per year as long as you work for a public school after graduation. Some people I know paid off everything with these programs.
Can you put this on Craig’s list
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
What a great website. I got here by googling because I was having a down day. Great stuff! In return for your cheerful advice, I would like to help you with your student loan – the last blog comment was May… so just checking to see if you are still accepting donations?
Really proficient post. Theoretically I could write something like this too, but taking the time and effort to make a good article is a lot of effort…but what can I say….I’m a procrastinator. Good read though.
Great article, and many thanks for taking the effort to publish it; I’m positive otheres benefited too. It really opened my eyes for some new conclusions that I hadn’t thought of before.