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It's a thought crossing the minds of many high school seniors as they stare down college tuition costs.

Student debt in the U.S. now exceeds $1.2 trillion dollars, a deficit which has grown larger than the nation's credit card debt. 

With the price of tuition showing little sign of falling from its peak, The Daily Circuit looked at some ideas to fund your college education.


Miguel Palacios, assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, joined The Daily Circuit and discussed his ideas for investors taking on the risk of college education for students. 

2. Become an expert on loan forgiveness programs

 can have their loans forgiven after a certain period of time. Make sure you know what you qualify for and how to enroll.  

3. Treat the search for scholarships and grants as a part-time job

Elise, a caller from Minneapolis, offered her advice on being frugal and tracking down financial assistance:

Minneapolis caller offers advice on paying for college by MPR News

4. Create better incentives for schools to offer degrees that pay off

"Universities should enter into contracts with students to receive a specified fraction of future earnings over a ten year post-graduation horizon," wrote Emery 

. "Universities would have to choose  the specified fraction based on expected future earnings and cost of providing the education, which would provide a useful price signal to students. Universities would also have a strong incentive to have students finish programs of study that produce useful and marketable credentials.

5. Find jobs after school that allow you to pay down debt quickly

One caller said he worked on cruise lines after graduation. The job included food and housing, so he was able to put his paychecks directly to his student loans. 

? Have ideas about how to pay for college in a 

Business and Economic News

Education News

With the price of tuition showing little sign of falling from its peak, we're taking an alternate route. Two experts join us to talk about creative ways to pay for school.

Creative ways to pay for college

Democratic Senators Join Students On Capitol Hill

5 creative ways to pay for college

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