Millennials vs Generation X – How They Look at Student Loan Debt Differently

by Sean Bryant on November 3, 2015
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The latest undergraduates are running into way more debt, in fact almost record setting financial debt, as per new research of over four hundred college students throughout the U.S.A. surveyed by Credit Sesame.

Although the cost of education has been going through the roof, the Millennials, those born between 1981 and 2004, will still be looking ahead to attending college and believe it produces more value than ever before, as compared to Generation X’ers who have been surveyed. The primary difference between the Millennials and Generation X is with how much attention the former are paying in selecting their degree and just how much it may help them build a rock solid career future.

Here is a detailed overview of the data:

• Money is Key: More than 10% of Millennial families earned over $150,000 annually in take home pay, in comparison with Generation X families who sit in the spectrum of 3-4%. Furthermore, 25% of Millennial families made $110,000 a year, as compared with merely 4% of Generation X families. Heading down towards the bottom income brackets we see a similar type of finding, where around 1/3 of Generation X families are producing less than $32,000 each year, compared to just 16% of Millennial families.

• The Pay: About 25% of Millennials set on a college in which the tuition ended up being $25k or higher, compared to just 6% of Generation X. By comparison, half of Generation-X spent less than $10k a year for school, while just 27% of Millennials paid under $10k.

• For the Love of Learning: With school tuition costs up, Millennials are taking an increasingly pragmatic approach to picking out a major. Compared to Generation X, over twice as many Millennials mentioned salary was a key factor in selecting a major (33% vs. 14%).

• What is Your Honest Opinion?: When asked if college is really worth the cost, 76% of Millennials said yes, whereas only 68% of Gen-X agreed.

Edvisors states the class of 2015 is the most indebted class in US history, and yet Millennials carry on to defend higher education. With good reason that is, seeing that “Americans with 4 year college degrees earned 98% more each hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree,” as outlined by an analysis of Labor Department data from the Economic Policy Institute. However that does not make financial debt any less challenging.

The good part is that student loans don’t have to be the decider in how you live. You are able to overcome your debt and here is how you can make a change:

• Direction – Budgeting your student loans is a good way to make certain you are sorted out and capable of making a change when you find the opportunity. There are several short-term actions you can take that can have sustaining effects on your long-term finances

• The Help – Find personalized evaluation and payment solutions from businesses such as Credit Sesame

• Keep in Mind: Interest Levels – By committing to pay more than your month to month minimum every month, or whenever feasible, you can reduce the interest you will need to shell out. It may well sound like common sense advice, but it is hardly ever taken with extra cash usually ending up in leisure expenditures instead

• Ask Your Lender – If you are having trouble repaying those student loans an ideal alternative is to get ahold of your loan company to find out if either deferring a few of the payments or perhaps lowering them is at all possible

Although a degree was less costly for Generation X, its significance in the workforce was in fact nothing like it truly is these days. Many Millennials are managing increased educational costs and increased demand for employees with four-year degrees by choosing schools and majors that can provide higher-paying jobs. Loans are bound to be a part of the equation for most students, yet it’s important to remember that there are a number of ways you can deal with them and websites to help you.

Student Debt Attitudes: Millennials vs. Gen X Provided by CreditSesame.com

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Sean Bryant

Sean Bryant created OneSmartDollar.com in 2011 to help pass along his knowledge of finance and economics to others. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in economics he worked as a construction superintendent before jumping into the world of finance. Sean has worked on the trade desk for a commodities brokerage firm, he was a project manager for an investment research company and was a CDO analyst at a big bank. That being said he brings a good understanding of the finance field to the One Smart Dollar community. When not working Sean and his wife are avid world travelers. He enjoys spending time with his two kids and dog Charlie.

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