What about student loans? (For American Audiences)
Question 11034
Student debt has become a defining financial reality for millions of people, and Christians entering higher education face the same practical calculations as everyone else. The question is whether Scripture has anything to say about taking on educational debt, and how believers should think about borrowing, obligation, and the stewardship of their financial futures when the cost of education requires it.
What Scripture Says About Debt
The Bible does not prohibit borrowing. What it does is treat debt with consistent seriousness and caution. “The borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7) is not a prohibition but a warning: debt creates a relationship of obligation and constraint that affects freedom. Paul’s instruction to “owe no one anything, except to love each other” (Romans 13:8) has sometimes been read as an absolute ban on borrowing, but the context is about fulfilling obligations promptly and completely. The Mosaic law regulated lending and borrowing (Deuteronomy 15:1-11; Exodus 22:25), which presupposes that borrowing would occur within the community. The issue is not whether debt exists but whether it is entered into wisely and managed faithfully.
Education as Stewardship
Investing in education can be a legitimate act of stewardship. Developing the gifts and abilities God has given, preparing for a vocation, and equipping oneself to serve effectively in the world are all consistent with the biblical call to use what we have been given well. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) commends those who invested their resources wisely and rebukes the one who did nothing with what he was given. Education, where it genuinely equips a person for productive work and service, falls within this category.
The question is whether the specific educational path and the debt required to pursue it represent a wise investment or an unexamined assumption. Not every course at every institution at every price point is worth the borrowing it requires. The student who takes on substantial debt for a qualification that will genuinely open doors to meaningful employment and service is in a different position from the one who borrows heavily for something that offers no realistic return. Wisdom calls for honest assessment before the commitment is made, not only afterwards when the repayments begin.
Practical Wisdom for the Believer
If student loans are taken on, they become a genuine obligation. The Christian is bound to repay what has been borrowed. “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives” (Psalm 37:21). The willingness to meet financial obligations, even when they are burdensome, is part of the believer’s witness. This means that repayment should be factored into financial planning from the outset, not treated as an abstract problem to be dealt with later.
It also means that the debt should not be allowed to become an excuse for neglecting other biblical priorities. Giving to the Lord’s work, generosity toward others, and the basic requirements of stewardship do not pause because student loan repayments are due. The challenge is to manage the obligation faithfully while not allowing it to dominate every other financial and spiritual priority.
So, now what?
Student loans are not sinful, but they are serious. The Bible treats debt as a binding obligation that constrains freedom, and the decision to borrow should be made with open eyes, genuine prayer, and a realistic assessment of what the education will cost and what it will yield. Where loans have already been taken, the Christian response is faithful repayment, ongoing generosity despite the burden, and trust in God’s provision through the process. The goal is to manage the obligation rather than be managed by it, and to recognise that financial freedom, once achieved, is worth the discipline it takes to reach it.
“The borrower is the slave of the lender.” Proverbs 22:7