One of the best pieces of advice I would give to someone considering a loan to pay for college is to look at how much they would need per semester in loans. These loans will have interest rates and you’ll be expected to pay about the amount of interest accrued, or less, each month once out of school. That’ll add up quickly if the college charges $40,000 a semester in tuition - not to mention books and housing.
Another good piece of advice for this student would be to look into as many scholarships as possible. It’s money they won’t have to pay back once they are out of school, though some limitations may apply.
Finally, I would suggest this student only get government financial aid when seeking loans. The interest rates are lower, and they will wait until you’re out of school to start collecting and coming down hard.
Your answer might read something like this:
A college education is a valid reason for using credit. Student loans are often considered good debt since it is an investment in higher future earnings. However, Ana has to realize that taking on these student loans will strain her budget when she gets out of school. She needs to layoff the credit cards and pay off her existing debt ASAP.
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