西部落：学费:大学生不能承受之重

Making Cents now. Out of paying off that college loan. There is a new study.

It says a growing number of students are ma, in a major hole from the minute they enter the real world because they are already, some of them, more than 100, 000 dollars in debt. With us now in Studio B is Greg McBride, he is the senior financial analyst¹ for Bankrate. com. Now I guess there are two kinds of debts, good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?

Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their families is that the cost of colleges has been going up at 6 to 8% a year, far faster than the income, far faster than the standard of living. That means debt's taking on a bigger and bigger role in financing education.

How much debt is too much debt for, for one student?

Well, one guideline is that you look at the first year's salary in your field after graduation, and use that as, as a barometer², but even then. . .

Is that right?

Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance, for example, 30, 000 dollars worth of debt. If you are gonna repay that over 10 years, you are talking more than 300 dollars a month at, in payments every month for 10 years.

There is more than one way to skin a cat and there is more than one way to get a loan for college. There are government programs. There are so many kinds of grants. What's, what's the best advice for people who are looking for these loans to try to keep themselves from going under.

I understand that loans are just one piece of the bigger college financing puzzle. Take advantage of the, other opportunities. Things like a 529 college savings³ plan, let, let you save on a tax advantage basis.

Now, that's an interesting thing that we've talked about here before. It's state by state, different rules state by state, is that right?

Well, the, the rules are varied⁴ from state to state. You are generally, whether or not you are getting an instate tax break, but every state offers them. You don't have to invest in your state's plan.

And you do get a federal tax break?

You do get it as under current rules you get to withdraw that money free of tax at the other end.

And, now there are, there are limits per year and a maximum overall but you can get up to 100, 000 dollars tax-free save, right?

Eh, essentially⁵, yes. I mean you can actually put, put away, er, you know, the generally account limits were limited at about 320, 000 dollars. So, I mean you can really put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that educated. . .

You're putting a couple hundred bucks⁶ away if you're especially talking about a brand new kid. I mean that'll save your butt⁷ later on.

It's important to start early and that really reduces that reliance on debt later. Another thing, leave no stone unturned, looking at grants, scholarships, even on-campus jobs. I mean every dollar you get that way is seen as another dollar you don't have to borrow later.

The kinds of jobs that so many students, fresh off students, like to go into, er, charity stuff, volunteer work. This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn't it?

I think that's the social cost, Chaper. Really, I mean , you know, when you consider that, you know, people may pass up a rewarding career in charitable work, or non--profit organization because they have to get a higher salary someplace else to pay off that debt. You know another I think, is they may dismiss the idea of going back to graduate school later, because they are afraid to incur⁸ still more debt.

Yeah, who wouldn't be. . Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate. com. Greg, good you could be here.

Thank you.

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 barometer   

n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标

参考例句：

• The barometer marked a continuing fall in atmospheric pressure.气压表表明气压在继续下降。
• The arrow on the barometer was pointing to"stormy".气压计上的箭头指向“有暴风雨”。

3 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

4 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

8 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。