More students are taking out loans to get through community college
Heading to a two-year community college rather than an expensive university may not be so affordable to those doing so after all.
The percentage of students using loans to pay for their first year in community college has risen to more than 25 percent , a Boston Globe review found. Five years ago the rate was 19.7 percent.
“When they’re struggling with trying to get the rent paid, and food, and put gas in the car, it’s hard to make a wise borrowing decision,’’ a financial aid director at North Shore Community College told The Globe.
Students are cutting costs and working part time, but still have trouble scraping together tuition and housing money, according to the report.
A student at Bunker Hill Community College, Julie Bauer, told The Globe she needs loans despite having sold her car.
“If I take out this loan, it gives me a boost every semester, and I pay off bills,’’ said Bauer, who also worked a $10-an-hour work-study job last school year. She hopes to transfer to a four-year college.
The Globe story also notes that default rates at community colleges rose over the latest three-year period.
Read the whole Globe story here.
New England Schools on Forbes’ Top Colleges List:
[bdc-gallery id=”109704″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com