Students and their families should consider all their options before enrolling in university credit, which could become an overwhelming burden in the future. Some alternatives – or ways to reduce the size of credits – include part-time work, accepting offers of work study, attending a cheaper school, finding a job that offers tuition reimbursement as a benefit, and applying for scholarships that help cover tuition costs, room and catering. If the student has graduated, it is also helpful to look for a job that offers student debt assistance as a benefit. If a student has taken out many educational credits, consolidation can be a good option to deal with the debt burden more easily. Multiple federal loans can be combined into a single direct remediation loan. .