Before You Sign Student Loans

This is not an anti-college page. This is a clarity page.

One question matters most:
Do you know exactly what your monthly payment will be — and what job will realistically cover it?

Step 1: Know The Real Numbers

Let’s walk through a common scenario.

Loan Amount: $35,000

Interest Rate: 5.5%

Term: 10 years

Estimated Monthly Payment: ~$380/month
Total Repaid Over Time: ~$45,600
Total Interest Paid: ~$10,600

$380 per month is:

A car payment
Half a rent payment in parts of Wisconsin
A down payment fund if invested instead

Step 2: Compare to Real Wisconsin Income

Let’s assume a starting salary of $52,000 per year.

Gross Income: $52,000

Estimated Take-Home (after taxes): ~$3,200/month

Student Loan Payment: $380/month

That’s 12% of your take-home pay.

That percentage increases if:

You borrow more than $35,000
You choose income-based repayment
You enter a lower-paying field

This is not catastrophic. But it is a constraint. And constraints compound.

Step 3: Understand Opportunity Cost

What happens if instead of borrowing $35,000, you:

Enter a Wisconsin apprenticeship at 18
Earn income immediately
Save $6,000–$10,000 per year

By age 22, you may have:

$20,000–$40,000 in positive net worth instead of negative.

That changes: – Mortgage qualification – Investment timeline – Risk tolerance – Life flexibility College can still happen. But now it happens from strength.

Step 4: Ask These 7 Questions Before You Borrow

What is the median starting salary in Wisconsin for this degree?
What percentage of graduates work in their field?
What will my monthly payment be?
How long will I realistically be paying?
What happens if I change majors?
What happens if I don’t graduate?
Is there a lower-cost pathway (technical college, transfer route, apprenticeship first)?

If you cannot answer these clearly, pause.

The Patriot Pilgrim Position

Debt is not evil. Blind debt is.

For many young people, the strongest sequence is: 1. Income + skill first 2. Debt only when ROI is clear 3. Borrow intentionally, not emotionally College is powerful when aligned. It is risky when defaulted into.

Final Thought

Before you sign anything, run the numbers. Look at Wisconsin wages. Look at your payment. Look at the timeline.

Make the decision from clarity — not pressure.