Go Ahead - Borrow For College!

I've just finished reading an interesting article on money.com regarding student debt. The authors - two economists - argue that students should ignore all the hype and go ahead and borrow whatever they need for their college education. Overall - I think I have to agree with them - but with an explanation.
As the authors state - numerous studies have shown that college educated workers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more in their lifetime compared to their non-college counterparts. They are more likely to have health care plans and retirement funds - which is good because they also live longer. So the proof is out there that having a college education pays off in the long run.
Any of you who have read this blog in the past may have the idea that I am totally against the idea of borrowing money for college. I am not naive enough to think that every potential college student is going to be able to save up enough money, or get enough scholarships, to pay for their entire post-secondary education. With the skyrocketing cost of tuition and other college related expenses. it is virtually impossible not to need some sort of outside funding to pay for it all. But this is where being a Money Smart Student comes in.
My advice is to take steps to minimize the amount that needs to be borrowed. I've posted many articles on the subject so I won't get into the details here. There are hundreds of ways students can save money before heading off to school, and spend less money once they get to college. *Shameless Plug* - Just get my book - 'How To Be A Money Smart Student' - and you'll find a multitude of ways to reduce how much money you will need to borrow to make it through to your degree.*End Shameless Plug* There are also numerous websites available - all with the sole purpose of helping new college students survive financially. Some of my favorites are listed over on the right side of this page.
So overall - go ahead and look at what you need to borrow for college. Just do everything you can to keep the student loan debt as low as possible. Cheers!