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December 24, 2020 8:30 AM Sean Pyles, NerdWallet
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Thirty years ago, a high school graduate who wanted to attend college or university was looking at an average tuition of $15,160 for a private, nonprofit school and only $3,190 for public universities. As of 2020, that number is closer to $35,087 for private colleges and $9,687 for public schools. Once the cost of books, room and board, and other fees are added in, paying for college with a part-time or summer job is increasingly becoming a thing of the past.
Today’s students are instead turning to loans, leading to a widespread debt crisis. Americans currently owe a collective $1.56 trillion in student loans, changing the shape and trajectory of the U.S. economy. Instead of buying a car or a house, millenials are focused on finding a job that will allow them to make loan payments without defaulting.
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