Borrow less for your entire education than your expected starting salary. Ideally, education debt should be less than half your expected starting salary.

Do not borrow more than $10,000 for each year in school.

Live like a student while you are in school so you don't have to live like a student after you graduate.

Before buying something with student loan money, ask yourself whether you'd still buy it at twice the price, because that's about what it will cost you after you've repaid the debt.

Pay the interest on unsubsidized loans during the in-school and grace periods to prevent the loan balance from growing larger. This will reduce the debt at graduation by about 20%.

Work part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer to earn money for college.

Graduate with a Bachelor's degree in four years, not five or six.

Don't switch majors or transfer colleges.