The state of Iowa has seen two-straight years of tuition freezes for in-state students, and some lawmakers are pushing for a third. While tuition freezes do help, tuition remains extremely expensive for both in and out-of-state students.

While lawmakers like ISU associate professor and state Senator for the 23rd district, Herman Quirmbach, are fighting to make higher education more affordable, it seems as though students’ tuitions will not improve significantly in the immediate future.

Because of this, it is important for students to understand the ramifications of student debt, high tuition rates and the choice to further their educations. Students have plenty of resources on campus to help manage debt, expenses and prepare themselves for life after college.

In-state ISU students face a tuition of $7,731 for the 2014-2015 academic year, according to the estimated cost of attendance on Iowa State’s website. Out-of-state students must pay a tuition of $20,617 this year, according to the same website.

Tuition rates like these contributed to the highest student debt levels upon graduation of any of the state schools. In 2012, ISU students graduated with an average of $30,374 of debt, almost $2,000 more than University of Iowa Students and almost $7,000 more than UNI students, according to projectstudentdebt.org.

The same organization said that 65 percent of Iowa State’s 4,881 degree recipients in 2012 graduated with debt. More than 70 percent of the state of Iowa’s graduates as a whole left school with debt, third highest in the country.

But the bad news does not stop there for ISU students. The state of Iowa ranks sixth-highest in the country with average student debt. With numbers that high, it is important for ISU students to understand the debt they face and the resources they have to deal with it.

In addition to Pell Grants, federal loans and scholarships offered by Iowa State and its various colleges, ISU students have two organizations to help with debt and future finances. The organizations help not only manage students’ current debt but also educate students about future financial planning.

The Government of Student Body recently approved funding for the new Student Loans Education Office which absorbed some of the old responsibilities of the Financial Counseling Clinic. The organization can work one-on-one with students to help them manage their current debt levels, plan budgets and teach workshops.

The new Financial Counseling Clinic can help students and other members of the community understand broader financial concepts like credit cards, investing, budgeting, job benefits and more.

The Financial Counseling Clinic is also the organization that oversees various finance classes at Iowa State. The classes are Personal Finance in Early Adulthood and Personal and Family Finance.

Although some lawmakers are working to improve our situation, tuition and other college expenses do not seem to be decreasing anytime soon. With all of the resources available at Iowa State, there is no reason for students not to educate themselves about their debt and prepare for after graduation.

With such shocking numbers on student debt at Iowa State, it is important for students to not only take responsibility for their education and time at Iowa State but also their future debt. While life seems to just begin after graduation, we must pay for the opportunities that got us there.