ApTester

I'm working part time to try to cover the cost of college with no help from the parents. If I take the maximum amount in federal loans/year, it would cost me about ~$5,000/year in loans.

Would $20,000 of student debt be an acceptable amount of student debt to have upon graduation?

Also, in the event that I were to die, these loans wouldn't have to be paid off by my parents right? They're the federal subsidized loan types.

4kidsdad

Some say the acceptable level for student loans is your projected annual salary after you graduated from college.

Some would say the max is the Federal Direct Loans Limit which is $31000.

A few even say $1 of student loans is too much.

If you die, nobody is required to payoff your Federal student loans.

cptofthehouse

Aptester, to say what is an acceptable level differs too widely and is so subject to opinion, and to what the future holds. However, the Federal government defines acceptable as the DIrect Loans limit for undergrads and that is pretty much the maximum you can borrow on your own. You have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages between borrowing and finishing sooner vs elongating the process without borrowing as much.

2013VAmom

For my own child, I have said the max amount of debt is 20,000.