"If for some reason you still need to borrow – and you really shouldn't – borrowing should be limited to federal loans," cautions Bissonnette.
Perkins and subsidized Stafford loans, available for need-based applicants, are good choices because the government pays interest on such loans while a student is in school or during deferments. A rule of thumb is not to take on more debt than a student expects to earn in the first year after graduation, says Irons.