I'm still paying off tens of thousands in school loans as my oldest applies to college. My financial burden is shaping her approach.

Tech Insider : Business
The aunther and her daughter pose in front of green mountains.
The author, shown with her daughter, says that her lingering student loan debt has impacted how her kids think about college.

Courtesy of Kate Loweth.

I was a low-income student, so college never seemed feasible. That changed when I took a college class as a high schooler.

Tech Insider : Business
a female student with a backpack staring into the camera
The author (not pictured) attended a college class as a high schooler.

Maskot/Getty Images/Maskot

I bought a storage-unit business with my husband. The customers can be difficult, but it makes financial sense for our family.

Tech Insider : Business
nancy brier in front of a storage unit and climbing a ladder
The author owns a storage unit business.

Courtesy of Nancy Brier

I'm a single mom with 2 kids in college. My divorce devastated me financially, so I feel guilty I can't help with their tuition.

Tech Insider
a woman on the phone surrounded by a pile of bills
The author, not pictured, can't pay for her kids' college tuition.

Fertnig/Getty Images

I'm a college professor, and I'm not sure I'll send my kid to college. A degree isn't required for success.

Tech Insider
a professor sitting in a college classroom with students at desks
The author, not pictured, is a professor but won't require her son to go to college.

Maskot/Getty Images/Maskot

I wanted my daughter to graduate from college debt-free, so I bought a storage unit business. It paid for her entire tuition.

Tech Insider
Nancy Brier cleaning out a storage unit
The author owns a storage unit business to pay for her daughter's college tuition.

Courtesy of Lauren Trippeer

I'm not paying for my kids' college tuition unless they want to be doctors or lawyers. Money isn't the issue — the ROI has to be worth it.

Tech Insider
a couple takes a selfie outside
Bobby Kittleberger and his wife.

Bobby Kittleberger

Peter Thiel doubles down on his program to pay kids not to stay in school

Tech Insider : Economy
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, speaks during the Bitcoin 2022 Conference at Miami Beach Convention Center.
Peter Thiel.

Getty Images

'Thrown to the wolves': How private investors are jacking up rents and ripping off college students

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy
A house falling on top of a college student
Business is booming for investors in college housing, who poured $22.9 billion into the industry last year. But for students, the picture is more fraught.

Tyler Le/Insider

Gen Z is giving up on college

Tech Insider : Economy
Gen-z stepping over a college graduation cap.
In the wake of the pandemic and economic uncertainty, Gen Z is questioning whether college is worth it.

Chelsea Jia Feng/Insider

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