What is the interview mainly about? [br] [originaltext]W It says a growing numb

W It says a growing number of students are making 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 is Mark Spencer, he is the senior financial analyst for SBC Bank. Welcome to you.
M Thank you. Nice to be with you.
W Now I guess there are two kinds of debts: good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?
M 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.
W How much debt is too much debt for...for one student?
M Well, one guideline is that you look at the first year’s salary in your field after graduation, and use that as a barometer, but even then...
W Is that right?
M 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 that, in payments every month for 10 years.
W But there’ re surely 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.
M I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities. Things like a college savings plan, let...let you save on a tax advantage basis. So you can put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that education.
W So it’s important to start early and that really reduces that reliance on debt later. M 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.
W 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?
M I think that’ s the social cost. 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.
W Yeah, that’s for sure. Mark Spencer, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank. Mark, good you could be here.
M Thank you.