High school students spend a significant amount of time deciding where they’ll go to college. Most students apply to 7-10 schools hoping they’ll get admitted to their top choice. Although most college students today walk away from college with student loan debt in addition to their diploma, not all share an equal burden.
The state in which a student attends college might have an effect on their total amount of student loan debt. According to a study by The Institute for College Access & Success, these are the 5 states with the highest average student loan balance upon graduation. Read about each state, and then find out what you can do to alleviate the financial burden of student loan debt if it’s too much to bear.
Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania is home to popular colleges such as Penn State, UPenn, and Swarthmore College. Each of these institutions offers great educational opportunities for students looking to get a jumpstart in their careers. Such a notable educational experience, however, comes at a cost. Currently, the average student loan balance in Pennsylvania is more than $36k. That is largely due to state budget cuts that increased the average annual tuition to more than $14k.
New Hampshire
Dartmouth College is one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States — and it just happens to be in one of the worst states for student loan debt, New Hampshire. New Hampshire’s average annual tuition is more than $6k above the national average, at a total of $16k. This burdensome cost is due to the lack of funding provided to schools by the state government for students.
Connecticut
The state of Connecticut is the 10th most expensive state to attend college in the nation. The average student loan balance across Connecticut is more than $38k, which is $10k higher than the national average. Although students who attend successful universities such as UConn graduate with a reputable degree, it comes at a high cost that often deprives them of other luxuries later in life.
Rhode Island
Home to The University of Rhode Island and Brown University, the Ocean State is an extremely expensive state to attend college in. Unfortunately, Rhode Island is a small state that doesn’t provide an excess of funding to its state schools. In addition, the size of the state also makes it difficult for college graduates to find job opportunities within Rhode Island after graduation. Many students struggle to pay down their student loan debt as efficiently as students who graduated from universities in other states.
Delaware
From 2008-2016, state funding for schools in Delaware decreased by more than 28%. That significant decrease caused a drastic rise in college tuition, which resulted in skyrocketing student loan debt. In addition, for eight years Delaware also denied state scholarships to students in need. Denying scholarships put many students in a difficult position where they were forced to take out student loans without a way for guaranteed repayment.
Eliminate Your Student Loan Debt With a Debt Settlement Lawyer
No matter where you live, if you’re struggling with student loan debt, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans have difficulty making student loan payments and no way to repay them. Fortunately, there are viable financial options for repayment that can help you achieve a successful financial future.
At McCarthy Law, we want to alleviate the burden of your student loan debt so you can move forward with your life. To schedule a free consultation to see how the lawyers at McCarthy Law PLC can assist you with your debt, call our office today at 855-976-5777 or fill out our online contact form today. We want to help you get your life back.