Most students rely on credit to pay for some part of their tuition or living expenses.
Nonetheless, many students choose to work rather than take out students loans. This strategy often backfires because spending long hours at work causes students' grades to suffer or makes it impossible to maintain a full course load. Working actually can hurt students financially if it keeps them from graduating on time or with the kind of GPA that employers value. Student loans can help students to reduce the amount they work and concentrate on finishing their degree. So borrowing to pay for college can make good financial sense.