SoFi Blog

As the 2016 presidential hopefuls announce their plans to deal with student loan debt, student loan refinancing is once again at the center of the education debt debate. The media coverage thus far has made a couple of things pretty clear. First, a lot of people are unaware that they can apply to refinance federal student loans through a number of private lenders right now – no legislation required.

The “should I go to grad school?” question is a lot different today than it was just a few years ago.

Between 2000 and 2012, graduate programs were the fastest growing segment of the higher education market, with the annual production of master’s degrees increasing 63% during that timeframe, according to federal data. In particular, enrollments spiked after the 2008 global financial crisis, when many people returned to school to bolster prospects in a depressed job market.

If you’re thinking about going to graduate school, you’ve probably got a lot of questions – things like which program to pursue, what schools to consider, and whether to attend full- or part-time. You’re probably also wondering how to measure whether the investment in another degree will be worth it in the end.

While there are many non-monetary things to consider, like impact on professional development and job satisfaction, it’s important to keep the big picture in mind. Given the high cost of grad school (often accompanied by student loan debt), having a sense of the financial outcome the degree will provide can help you make a more informed decision about making such a big investment.

Student debt is often a key financial concern among 20- and 30-somethings, and rightfully so. Though the data still proves that higher education pays off over time, having a lot of student debt can hinder a borrower’s financial situation years into their professional life.

With the average student loan debt burden on the rise, it’s little wonder that loans often hold people back from pursuing their entrepreneurial goals. At SoFi, we’ve heard these stories time and again – friends, classmates and SoFi members who dream of starting their own businesses, but who feel trapped in a traditional job because they need to make that loan payment each month.