College students across the nation owe thousands of dollars in student loans.

19-year-old Derrah Nelson is part of this alarming statistic.

The Grambling State University student said she’s worried about how she’ll pay her bills once she graduates.

“Hopefully it’s gonna get paid back,” Nelson said. “That’s all I can really hope for and if not, I don’t know, I’ll probably have debt until I die, but I took it out and I had to get my education.”

Her concerns are legitimate.

A study released by the US News World Report said students at GSU graduate with the highest amount of debt in the nation.

The study said that students at GSU graduate, on average, with almost $52,000 in student debt.

The Director of Financial Aid at GSU, Gavin Hamms, said many students couldn’t afford school without loans.

“We have a high volume of students that are low-income and they need the extra support to be able to support themselves financially,” Hamms said.

This year, tuition and board is about $12,000 for out-of-state students and about $7,000 for in-state students.

The college helps students by offering scholarships and providing counseling and essential information on how to properly borrow.

“We don’t want them to obtain those student loans without being properly educated on how to successfully repay those student loans,” Hamms added.

Some students believe their peers don’t realize the responsibility that comes with taking out a loan.

“Debt is real and student loans are like a plague,” student at GSU Kobe Ross said. “You’re going to be paying them for a while.”

Nelson said she doesn’t let her circumstances stress her out. Instead, they motivate her to get good grades and be successful in her career.

“But I know that I’m going to pay off my debt because I plan to go far in life,” Nelson added.