High school students spend a significant amount of time deciding where they’ll go to college. Most students apply to 7-10 schools hoping they’ll get admitted to their top choice. Although most college students today walk away from college with student loan debt in addition to their diploma, not all share an equal burden.

The state in which a student attends college might have an effect on their total amount of student loan debt. According to a study by The Institute for College Access & Success, these are the 5 states with the highest average  student loan balance upon graduation.  Read about each state, and then find out what you can do to alleviate the financial burden of student loan debt if it’s too much to bear.

Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania is home to popular colleges such as Penn State, UPenn, and Swarthmore College. Each of these institutions offers great educational opportunities for students looking to get a jumpstart in their careers. Such a notable educational experience, however, comes at a cost. Currently, the average student loan balance in Pennsylvania is more than $36k. That is largely due to state budget cuts that increased the average annual tuition to more than $14k.

New Hampshire

Dartmouth College is one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States — and it just happens to be in one of the worst states for student loan debt, New Hampshire. New Hampshire’s average annual tuition is more than $6k above the national average, at a total of $16k. This burdensome cost is due to the lack of funding provided to schools by the state government for students.

Connecticut

The state of Connecticut is the 10th most expensive state to attend college in the nation. The average student loan balance across Connecticut is more than $38k, which is $10k higher than the national average. Although students who attend successful universities such as UConn graduate with a reputable degree, it comes at a high cost that often deprives them of other luxuries later in life.

Rhode Island

Home to The University of Rhode Island and Brown University, the Ocean State is an extremely expensive state to attend college in. Unfortunately, Rhode Island is a small state that doesn’t provide an excess of funding to its state schools. In addition, the size of the state also makes it difficult for college graduates to find job opportunities within Rhode Island after graduation. Many students struggle to pay down their student loan debt as efficiently as students who graduated from universities in other states.

Delaware

From 2008-2016, state funding for schools in Delaware decreased by more than 28%. That significant decrease caused a drastic rise in college tuition, which resulted in skyrocketing student loan debt. In addition, for eight years Delaware also denied state scholarships to students in need. Denying scholarships put many students in a difficult position where they were forced to take out student loans without a way for guaranteed repayment.

Eliminate Your Student Loan Debt With a Debt Settlement Lawyer

No matter where you live, if you’re struggling with student loan debt, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans have difficulty making student loan payments and no way to repay them. Fortunately, there are viable financial options for repayment that can help you achieve a successful financial future.

At McCarthy Law, we want to alleviate the burden of your student loan debt so you can move forward with your life. To schedule a free consultation to see how the lawyers at McCarthy Law PLC can assist you with your debt, call our office today at 855-976-5777 or fill out our online contact form today. We want to help you get your life back.

Kevin McCarthy

Kevin McCarthy Founder and Managing Attorney at McCarthy Law in Scottsdale | AZ

 Kevin Fallon McCarthy is McCarthy Law PLC’s managing attorney and an experienced Phoenix debt attorney. Attorney, Kevin McCarthy has been a member of the Arizona Bar since 1986. He has…

Kevin McCarthy Founder and Managing Attorney at McCarthy Law in Scottsdale | AZ

 Kevin Fallon McCarthy is McCarthy Law PLC’s managing attorney and an experienced Phoenix debt attorney. Attorney, Kevin McCarthy has been a member of the Arizona Bar since 1986. He has worked in private practice as a lawyer at Ryley, Carlock & Applewhite, P.A., a large law firm based in Phoenix, AZ. While at Ryley, Carlock & Applewhite, Mr. McCarthy worked primarily on banking and finance matters for large banking concerns. Mr. McCarthy has also worked as general counsel for a large corporation. He has corporate counsel experience in human resource matters, general corporate governance, and union class action litigation.

Mr. McCarthy graduated magna cum laude, second in his class, from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law. His undergraduate degree is in accounting from Creighton University.  Mr. McCarthy is a published author and professional speaker. His article, “Sins of the Father: Punitive Damages for Successor Corporations” was published in the Arizona State Law Journal. He was a featured speaker at the 2013 Hope Conference in Phoenix, AZ. Mr. McCarthy’s has also taught continuing legal education on the subject: Defending Credit Card Cases.

For years, Mr. McCarthy was a frequent guest on Candid Conversation, Wise Counsel. a weekly radio program heard Thursdays from 3-4 PM on KFNX 1100 AM. Currently, he appears monthly on Eric Lay’s Moneyline heard Saturdays from 11-12 noon on 960 AM in Phoenix, AZ.

Since 2011, Mr. McCarthy has made consistent and insightful commentary on the firm’s debt settlement blog.

Kevin Fallon McCarthy’s free debt settlement videos provide answers to 31 of the most asked debt settlement questions.

Mr. McCarthy is a member of the Arizona Bar Association and the Maricopa County Bar Association.

Mr. McCarthy has received rave reviews and endorsements from both clients and attorney peers.

Previous clients have commented: “Working with Kevin was one of the best things we ever did. His understanding and overall skill set helped us through a very difficult time in our lives. We highly recommend Kevin and his team… they were a God send!!”

Another client wrote: “Our pending arbitration case had reached a critical stage and appeared headed towards legal failure. Thanks to Mr. McCarthy, he was able to rescue our case, destined for assured judgment against us, and negotiated an amicable settlement with the plaintiff that fit very reasonably within our personal financial capability. We found Mr. McCarthy to be a very candid, confident, knowledgeable, and more importantly trustful attorney. Our meetings with Mr. McCarthy were always punctual, cordial, and respectful. Through email, telephone, and receptionist services, Mr. McCarthy was very accessible, and his follow-up contact was always very responsive. He clearly understands the importance of good attorney-client relations and responsive customer service. Lastly, we felt Mr. McCarthy’s fees were reasonable given the complexities of our case.

Mari Jo Clark, a prominent bankruptcy attorney, says of Mr. McCarthy: “it is so nice to be able refer clients, friends or family to Kevin for assistance with debt settlement knowing that they will be treated with warmth and respect by Kevin and his staff – and knowing that their financial problems are soon over – as Kevin is not afraid to take the creditors to task in obtaining favorable settlements for his clients.” 5 Big Questions To Ask Before Selecting A Debt Settlement Firm.