Some people can escape college and graduate with no debt or hardly any. I graduated with some debt, and I can proudly say that I am not ashamed of it.
I worked full-time throughout college and managed to graduate with two degrees in less than three years after the time that I graduated from high school. I managed to graduate before I turned 21, which I will say that I am also proud of.
However, since I graduated so quickly, I had to take a large course load in order for it to be possible. I took 14 credits (I think it was 14? Somewhere around that amount) while I was in high school, 18 or 21 during most spring and fall semesters and one summer I took 12 credits. The larger course load also came with a higher price, as the scholarships I was offered did not cover tuition beyond full-time status. With credits being nearly $900 an hour, each credit above 18 cost me dearly and added up quite quickly.
Currently, I have around $25,000 in debt, but that includes both my undergraduate degrees and two semesters of my MBA.
I do not regret my debt. I pay around triple the minimum balance each month for each loan that I have taken out and I plan to have my loans paid off within 5 years.
Your turn: Do you have any college debt? Do you consider college debt to be “good”?