<p>I don't understand something. I looked on the collegeboard website and used collegesearch to look at the average indebtness of graduates. Boston Univ. has an average indebtness of 20,000. How? I mean, even if you got a full-tuition scholarship, you would still have to pay 10,000 a year for room and board, making a 40,000 debt over 4 years. And most people can't get a full-tuition scholarship. And for Harvard, the debt is $7,000; are they serious!!!! Is everyone's EFC like $2,000. Does Harvard give out more free financial aid that the EFC?</p>
<p>When a college says "debt", I think they mean student debt only. I doubt that includes parent debt. At least in wouldn't in our case at any school.</p>
<p>Most families are able to pay at least part of the college costs each year, so they don't have to borrow the entire amount after scholarships.</p>
<p>And yes, I think it does mean student debt.</p>
<p>Also, some of the top colleges with big endowments give more in grants and less in loans, so that may be why Harvard's is low. (And there actually are some people whose families can afford to pay the whole amount, so their kids don't have any loans--which lowers the average of those who must borrow more.)</p>