<p>This one is a close call, and I am glad we are not all jumping onto one band wagon or another. In the end the OP has to make the call, and in this case, it appears that he will be making an informed decision with more factors taken into account than most people have when making such decisions. </p>
<p>I agree with Poetgirl on this one for reasons I gave earlier. But nothing is cut and dry, and the it’s always possible that other factors are in play here. But given his mother’s financial situation and experience, I think he and his family can work out the loan repayments. Where my hair stands up when loans are contemplated, is when the family has a very low EFC, is already strapped, and the kid is going to have to ask one of them to cosign a loan that is going to have both student and parent in tetherhooks for the rest of their lives or until the loan is paid. I’ve seen the damage that situation can do. I’m also living the reality of two kids out of college with NO loans and living pretty much hand to mouth. We help out here and there, but if we had loans that were way outside of our affordability that we had to pay on their behalf, we wouldn’t be able to help even the little we do, and they can’t repay much of anything in their current financial situation. Their friends and peers with loan monkeys on their back are sick about it. It’s tough enough out there without that burden.</p>
<p>But if the amounts are within a certain parameter, and both parent and child can work together to pay them off, loans can truly leverage college choices and payments and make things work better and make things happen that are not affordable with current financial situations. </p>
<p>UFl gives merit scholarships for their most desired students. That and free tuition through BF can make it a free ride.</p>