Student loan debt has surpassed even credit card debt as the highest total amount of personal debt held in this country. It is a growing problem with few solutions. And too many young Americans are being “forced” into difficult loans with few resources available to them to help pay off the loans later. Abby Hayes, writing for Yahoo Finance, notes among other common mistakes that students make, that too many incoming college freshman assume that they need a student loan to pay for their education. 40% of students pay for school each year without the burden of a loan, so it is possible. And if you are not fortunate enough to be able to pay for it up front, you can look for a cheaper school, apply for scholarships, put off school for a year and save up, or work part time while attending. For more student loan mistakes to avoid, read this.