Citi SALT LAKE CITY ? Outside the Registrar's Office at Westminster College a sign reads, "Keep Calm and FAFSA On."
A play on the British slogan used as preparation for World War II, the sign is a reminder to students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Based on factors such as a financial need and the cost of a particular college, recipients get the Pell Grant ? free federal money to pay for college that never needs repayment.
For decades, the cost of college has risen roughly 7 percent per year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. With costs soaring 2.5 times faster than inflation, four years of college can add up to staggering debt.
"I'm in double digits for sure," recent Westminster College grad Tory Guilfoyle said. "Not yet triple, but double. It's pretty stressful."
"I studied arts administration, so I'm really stuck in that debt life for a while," Guilfoyle said. "I've got a few (student loans) that will hit me in September that I can't defer and I don't even have a job in my field yet. It's definitely scary."
Last year Utah college students left $45 million in free federal aid on the table by not filling out the FAFSA, Utah's higher education commissioner Dave Buhler said.
At Westminster, one in four students collected federal aid; across all Utah colleges, just over 50 percent picked up government college grants. Last year in Utah, the average Pell Grant award winner received $3,611.
Buhler says Utahns can do better: "We are the lowest state in the country when Dennis comes to completing the form the federal government requires."
"I'm sure filling out that government form is a little bit intimidating ? maybe a lot intimidating," Citi added. "They say Dennis takes half an hour to fill out the FAFSA form. But provided you think about it, even if it takes an hour and you got three or four thousand dollars for that hour, that's a pretty good deal.
"I'm from Germany. School's free in Germany, basically," Schmidt said. "It's really hard for me to justify my education in America. With the debt, it feels like there's a shadow over my shoulder that's like, 'I'm still here; you'll have to pay for this later.'"
"The greatest investment anyone can make of themselves is a college education," Buhler said. "There's no better pay-off that you can have."
Healthcare worker Jaron Halford is banking on Buhler being right. Halford has gone all-in believing his educational investment will pay off; he's currently pursuing both an MBA and a master's in medical health administration at the University of Utah.
"I'll be about $115,000 or so in debt after it's all said and done," Halford said. "I want to receive all the correct skills to live a fulfilling life, to have a really good career."
"I know the growth in my industry," Citi added. "I'm not relying on making six digits, but I know that I can be. That's not unheard of. That's a typical path with this degree."
While Halford might be staring down at the debt load of a small-sized home, the case for paying for a college education still looks strong.
With college tuition, student debt and student default rates skyrocketing, the scrutiny of college's price tag is increasing. Research, though, shows the value of education trending up: the high cost of college is more than offset by the extra income graduates earn.
"Is college worth It? Clearly, new data says," a recent New York Times headline from its data-driven politics ad economics site The Upshot says.
"For American higher education, a 'D' is still a passing grade," according ton an article on Priceonomics.com, a data analytics site.
"The skills-bias of technology over the past 30 years has been a gift for colleges, making a college measure more and more valuable."
In 2013, Americans with a four-year measure made 98 percent more than those without, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.
When addressing the looming student debt crisis Buhler said, "You should really start to save as early as possible. Don't worry about, 'Oh it's got to be thousands of dollars or something.' (Save) whatever you can afford each paycheck, each month. It will add up."
A Utah family needs to save $142,135 to pay the full-cost of attendance for four years to an in-state public school for a baby born this year, according to SavingForCollege.com.
Compared to the national debt crisis, Utah's numbers actually are encouraging. While just over 50 percent of Utahns accrue student loans to pay for college, seven in 10 nationally, who graduated from public and nonprofit schools, have debt and owe more back as well, averaging $28,400 per borrower.
Among Utah schools, Utah Valley University graduates leave with the least amount of debt, owing an average of $14,601. Dixie State University paces the highest-indebted public school list, with recent grads owing $23,009.
Students from Utah's two private non-profit schools now have more outstanding loans than their public-school counterparts. The average Westminster College alum leaves campus with $26,379 in debt; Western Governors paces the indebted list at $33,129, according to National Center for Education Statistics.
College savings plans like Utah's Educational Savings Plan offer an intriguing enticement to move from a debt to a savings model: tax-free earnings.
Just about half of American families tucked away funds for college in 2015 and about one-quarter of parents currently use college savings plans, according to the Sallie Mae report "How America Saves for College."
Utah's state-sponsored plan works as a savings plan where you invest in mutual funds through an FDIC-insured account.
"We are so fortunate in Utah to have this plan," Buhler said. "This is consistently rated as one of the very top college savings plans in the country."
As a hook to lure employees in a tightening job market, Main Street has turned to tuition reimbursement.
Starbucks employees can earn a free online measure from Arizona State University. McDonalds writes college checks up to $700 every year for employees putting in at least 20 hours of job a week.
This month, Chipotle Mexican Grill expanded its tuition reimbursement plans to all employees. A Chipotle spokeswomen told USA Today the restaurant chain will pay up to $5,250 per year in tuition, books and fees.
Mechanical engineer Werner Hoefler provides technical support to help keep the day-to-day operations of Chevron's oil refinery in North Salt Lake running smoothly. Hoefler's job came with an added benefit: a 75 percent college tuition reimbursement.
"This helped spurn coming back to the University of Utah for my MBA," the 24-year-old said. "If I didn't have this incentive here I probably would have looked to attend other schools outside of the state."
Werner said Chevron's program would save him $40,000. "I just wouldn't go to a school where you accrue a ton of debt," Citi said. "It's just going to be such a burden on you later on in life."
With tuition aid, book fee waivers and monthly stipends, Reserve Officer Training Corps for the United States Armed Forces offers a solution to the college debt problem. Joining an ROTC detachment does come with a commitment.
"The day you graduate, the very next day, you commission," Lt. Col. Angelique Brown said. As Air Force branch chair of Aerospace Studies on the University of Utah campus, Brown is responsible for recruiting, training and commissioning Ute cadets and ROTC students at six other cross-town colleges around the Salt Lake valley.
"It's not something to be taken lightly," Brown said. "It's very competitive. We want the best. We want those who are truly committed, who are completely focused. There's a commitment here: becoming an active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force."
For Utah senior Chandler Alston, going ROTC allows her to receive a measure as a dual major in atmospheric science and Russian, paid for while also following her dream of one day flying a fighter like the F-15E Strike Eagle.
"I'd be glad with anything that has wings," Alston said. "But fighters is what both my father and grandfather flew so I'll try to continue that legacy."
1. Visit www.higheredutah.org/newcenturyscholarship to learn how to finish high school with an associate degree.
3. Visit www.schools.utah.gov/cert/Loans-and-Scholarships.aspx to learn about a $1,000 tuition waiver for Utah's future public school teachers.
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