Recently an interview was conducted with Brandy Howell of Auburn University by author of Money Smart Women, Janet Bodnar. Howell confessed to the fact that she was a devoted believer of Bodnar’s book and admits that it inspired her to take measures to pay off her student loan debt.

Howell was native to Georgia but decided after high school to develop and learn at Auburn Univeristy in Alabama – meaning higher tuition costs. “It was a shock to see how fast my family’s college savings disappeared.”  She was forced to take out loans of her own. “At 18, you think you can borrow the money and pay it back. You don’t really know what it means,” says Howell.

When Brandy realized her dilemma, but still needed an internship in order to graduate, she moved home as opposed to renting and found an opportunity within her community. Once the internship was complete, she consolidated her Stafford Loans and received a surprisingly low interest rate but the interest was still in the double digits. This number could be lowered yet again by making automatic payments from her checking account.

Brandy Dowell tracks her spending habits down to the last penny. She seems dedicated to paying off these loans, even if it means putting Grandpa’s gift money towards her payments. A surprisingly small number of students chose a College based on tuition costs. She has some advice for those students seeking higher education at an expensive school, “If you’re going to take on debt, challenge yourself and get an education. Don’t go out of state if you’re just going to play.”