Summer classes have started at countless college campus across the country and many students attending those schools are incurring debt. According to the personal finance website WalletHub, students in Athens are among those with the worst debt-to-income ratio.
“Athens is in the 99th percentile when it comes to student debt, so it really can’t get any worse here."
Analyst Jill Gonzalez tells us what that means for students after graduation.
"So obviously that does not mean good things for quality of life here, and keep in mind, these are students graduating and getting jobs in Athens. If they’re moving elsewhere the picture probably looks a little bit better, but if they know that they’re staying put it’s definitely something to plan for, either by student loan calculator or budgeting, making sure that you know exactly how much you should be paying off each month.”
Students in Athens average just over $25,000 in debt, while the average salary is just over $31,000. Gonzalez says there are steps to reduce that debt.
“A lot of student debt or at least student loans sometimes are going towards ritzier housing options or new clothes, things that are not your actual study. Hopefully looking at this [report] and putting everything in perspective will help students take on less debt now, rather than have more to pay later.”
Experts say student loan debt is nearly 1.4 trillion dollars. ($1.38)
For more information or to use a student loan calculator visit WalletHub.com. https://wallethub.com/