A few months ago, I went to the Study Abroad Fair. After I was completely bombarded by representatives from almost every country, I informed them that studying abroad was too expensive for me. After that, every representative answered me with, “Just take out a loan.”

This made me curious: When students are taking out these loans, do they know what they’re getting into?

The cost of a higher education seems to become more expensive each year. Many students find themselves taking out thousands of dollars in loans.

According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), 65.6 percent of undergraduate students graduate with an average debt of $19,202. Imagine finishing college and starting your first taste of adulthood with a huge debt looming over you. Going into debt after school is almost excepted and sometimes perceived as the “norm.”

The statistics are even higher for graduate students. According to the same study, graduate students borrow from $27,000 to $114,000. That said, students pursuing an advanced degree are left with no choice if they are not given enough scholarships or grants.

From what I’ve noticed, grants and scholarships usually do not cover the entire cost of a secondary education. Many students, including myself, have to take out loans in order to make up the difference.

In today’s society, secondary degrees are almost necessary for any type of stable career. Since degrees are essential, shouldn’t college be affordable without going into debt for the rest of your life?

Before you say this sounds like an idealistic stretch, many European nations have opted to establish free universities.

For example, College de France, a university in Paris, is completely free of charge.

It would probably be a while before there are any free universities in the U.S., but that does not mean students should be completely uninformed about other methods of paying for college.

According to a USA Today article, 37 percent of public university students graduate with unmanageable debt.

Students should be completely informed about the loan process before they actually take them out. Some students underestimate how long they will be paying for their degrees.

We need to know exactly how long we will be paying back our loans, or else we will be well into our 30s and in debt.