During College

Only borrow what you have to. Just because your FASFA allows you to borrow money doesn‘t mean you have to take out all of the money you are allotted. Be mindful of accruing interest and consider only accepting a loan for money you actually need.
If possible, pay monthly accrued interest while in college as interest will accumulate on unsubsidized loans or private loans while you’re in school.

For example, if you were to borrow $5,500 at a 6.8% interest rate you would be accruing $31.00 a month in interest. If that loan were to be taken out during your freshmen year, and you paid no interest while in school, by the time you graduated you would owe an additional $1,500.00 in interest that you could have saved by paying it monthly during school.
Take advantage of work opportunities, such as internships and/or part-time positions to ease school expenses and ultimately reduce your borrowing amount each year. Additionally, these work experiences could make you more marketable for employment after graduation—making it easier to repay student loans.