One of the biggest decisions a young person will make in life is whether or not college is a perusable goal.

According to collegeboard.com, the average cost for college is about $8,000 dollars per year for in-state students. Overall, that totals a whopping $32,000 that a student could potentially land themselves in debt. By going $32,000 dollars in the hole, one could be paying off this four-year expense for his or her entire life.

In order to prepare for this overwhelming cost, students can receive scholarships, apply for financial aid, or enter web contests of people willing to help pay off some of a student’s dues.

“I’ve definitely been applying for as many scholarships and as much financial aid as possible,” senior Stephanie Shoemaker said. “I don’t want to be burdened with debt for the rest of my life.”

Financial aid is money given to students to help cover the cost of college. This form of aid does not have to be repaid, a characteristic that is very appealing to students.

Business teacher Suzanne Stark said that if you plan on going into debt, careful planning would be best to organize and plan your payments. A great calculator can be found on yahoo.com.

“Another thing that students should consider is looking into areas that have an extreme need for the field that you’re going into.” Stark said. “There are some programs out there that will pay for your college if you work for them for a certain period of time. That would eliminate the debt altogether.”

These work-study programs are found at a number of schools around the country. To find out if this is available at your school, contact the financial aid office.

“The army is another thing that can really help students out in the long run.” Stark said. “Giving up a weekend a month, plus the initial bootcamp, could really be something to consider for those who could go into serious debt.”

All in all, education is probably worth the debt in the long run.

“If you’re looking for a job that pays over $9 an hour, education is probably a must for this generation.” said Stark.

“I think education is worth the debt.” Stephanie added. “If you’re pursing an occupation you’ll really love, it’s worth the financial distress.”