Graduation was the easy part. Economists say that student loan debt outpaced credit card debt for the first time last year, with national totals headed toward a trillion dollars. The New York Times reported that two-thirds of students received their bachelors in debt while less than half of students did in 1993, and that college grads will be paying off loans for much longer in the coming years. "A lot of people will still be paying off their student loans when it's time for their kids to go to college," Mark Katrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org, told the paper. The trend is contributing to a slower transition from financial adolescence to adulthood, with young people taking longer to marry, have a home and family.
