[A930Rocket]

If the yearly tuition, room and board costs ~$20,000 each year (a public state school in SC) and the graduating debt load is an average of $20-25K, where is the rest of the money coming from? Private loans, federal loans, mom/dad, or savings?

Our daughter has the grades to go any where next year, but will be attending school in state to save money, since a loss of work and the economy has really hurt us financially the past several years. She will be getting about $7,500 in lottery assistance going to Clemson or the same $7,500 plus another $3,000 going to USC. Shame on us for not saving enough, but the only way I can see her going all four years, is some combiation of loan, summer jobs, mom/dad, and work-study.

When I went to school, I want to say I paid about $500 per semester. It was so cheap, I don't know anyone who had a loan back then.