Answer: Level of student debt

Question:

• What's your biggest concern about applying for college or as you think about your post-high school plans? 
• Why do you think that student loan debt is such a concern for so many? 
• Do you know anyone who has a lot of student debt? How are they managing it? 

• Do you think it is worth it to take on debt for college? Why or why not? 

Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (from PBS Newshour; 8 minute video):

Two-thirds of grads are saddled with loans, and their total debt has passed $1.5 trillion, half again the total owed on credit cards. That's 45 million borrowers, averaging more than $30,000 each...And so, Gen Z seems to be thinking about college costs a lot more skeptically, some would say more realistically, others more narrowly, than those who came before. 

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Watch this 8 minute video from PBS NewsHour to hear how current high school students are thinking about paying for college: 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.