WHITELAND Ind. — A Whiteland senior is hoping to graduate from college without any student loan debt.
Mandi Basham said she doesn’t expect her parents to be able to help her pay for a four-year degree, and her grade-point average isn’t high enough to qualify her for scholarships that would pay her full tuition costs.
So, she is taking dual-credit courses at Whiteland Community High School and plans to save money by earning some of her credits at a community college during her summer breaks from Indiana University.
Finding a way to pay for college without crushing student debt is changing the way students think about how they earn their degrees, school guidance counselors told the Daily Journal ( https://bit.ly/VKD84P).
Students see older peers and family members with college debt and are aware what paying for college means.
Many high school students plan to study at a community college first before finishing on campus, are staying close to home to save on the costs of a dorm room or apartment and are giving up their expensive dream schools.
“I am seeing more forethought and planning ahead of time,” said Shannon Fritz, guidance director at Whiteland. “(Students) understand the debt-to-income ratio more.”
