High Debt Looms Over Students

By ELLIE VALLERY/Staff Writer

Many students find the excitement of earning a degree overshadowed by student loan debt at the University of Texas at Tyler.

“I’m scared that I am going to have to pay so much money for the rest of my life,” said Kira Hinton, freshman mass communication major. “I’m scared that I’m going to be paying it off until I’m like 85, and just a little nervous about that.” 

The costs of loans add up.

“With interest, you’re having to pay even more on top of the thousands of dollars that you’re already owing,” Hinton said.

Hinton isn’t alone in her debt worries.

In 2024, the University of Texas System Office of Institutional Research and Analysis  found that students are worried about the impact of their student loans on their futures.

Just over half of the students graduating from UT Tyler have about $24,000 in student loan debt, according to information from the UT System. In 2023, it was $2,489 less than the state average for Texas public institutions.

Student loan debt for graduates of UT System academic institutions has been declining, according to the report. It has fallen over $1,000 in the last four years.

Getting a degree can be worth the stress of having to pay back loans, according to Hinton.

“You may be struggling with paying the money back, which is the downside of it, but the plus is that you’re educated,” she said. “I think your degree can take you further, you can do so many things with your degree.” 

Junior mass communication major Yessenia Valenciana took out several loans which has made her anxious.

“People are saying that now even though you have a degree, it’s really hard to get a job,” she said. “I hope the degree is worth it, because if not, I don’t know who’s paying back those student loans.”

Chelsea Rivers, a freshman marketing major, doesn’t plan on getting a student loan.

“My parents started a college fund for me in the second grade,” Rivers said.

She said she would be stressed if she had a loan to repay.

Lauren McClure, a junior fine arts major, spent two years at a Florida college where she accumulated $10,000 in loans. She doesn’t plan on getting more loans while at UT Tyler.

“I am planning on trying to pay off my loans while I’m in school,” McClure said.

Hinton is thankful for the time she is spending at UT Tyler. She said she will soon find out if the cost was worth it.

“I came to UT Tyler because it’s cheaper, but cheaper is still lots of years of paying it off,” she said. “I guess I’ll know if it’s worth it in four years when I’m paying my bills.”