| For anyone graduating college over the past few | | | | owe money are making payments of any kind |
| years, you know how overwhelming student debt | | | | (and payments of $1 are counted in the |
| can be. And, if you're like most, you're banking on | | | | "repayment" column). Other schools with lower |
| the new career to help clear that debt - some | | | | repayment ratios include Grambling State and Fisk. |
| faster than others. A. Harrison Barnes, career | | | | Liberty University, recently announcing its new |
| coach and founder, tells us about a new chart, | | | | management system, reports a repayment ratio |
| courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education, | | | | of 45%, says the founder. |
| that shows the repayment rates for every | | | | Ah…but things aren't always as they seem. It's |
| college, graduate school and even job training | | | | important to keep in mind that those who went |
| program within the U.S. The numbers were pulled | | | | on to graduate school and hadn't begun making |
| from the debt loads of every single student who | | | | payments yet (and won't until they've completed |
| either dropped out or graduated college between | | | | grad school) are considered, for purposes of the |
| 2004 and 2008. Read on - you might be surprised | | | | poll, to be in the "no pay" column. A few deans |
| at what's what, says the founder. | | | | report that students are indeed making payments |
| More than 90% of Cal Tech graduates were | | | | - on time and every month, but are only making |
| paying on their loan balances, as were those who | | | | the minimum payments that did not cover any of |
| graduated from Christian liberal arts Dordt College. | | | | the principle on their loans, but they too are being |
| Generally, says A. Harrison Barnes, nursing | | | | counted as non-payers. Barnes says it's important |
| programs, those schools with Christian foundations | | | | to keep perspective. |
| and surprisingly - liberal arts students - were more | | | | As with surveys of this magnitude, there are |
| likely to remain committed than some others. For | | | | bound to be those who disagree with the |
| Dordt and Cal Tech, the average financial total | | | | algorithms used. Still, despite any slight |
| was around $33,000 per student. For those | | | | imperfections or fluctuations, the big picture is |
| students who were carrying more than $50,000 | | | | clear. The bad news is there likely will no cuts to |
| and making efforts to pay down there debt, odds | | | | any school's tuition. Costs have been on the rise |
| are, they attended Williams, Lafayette, | | | | for decades and that trend is likely cemented into |
| Gettysburg and Colby. U.S. News reports those | | | | place. Barnes says the key to repaying student |
| schools offer impressive financial aid programs. | | | | debt is to maintain consistency. Try to pay as |
| Going south, you'll discover the University of | | | | much on the principle as possible and keep on |
| Mobile, a private Christian school located in Mobile, | | | | moving forward. |
| AL reported only about 33% of the students who | | | | |