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Trade school debt-to-income rule

How to use the 8% rule to decide whether a trade-school debt path still works.

June 9, 20261 min read

Trade school can still work when the debt stays small relative to the wage you are actually likely to earn. The fastest screen is simple: keep required monthly debt under roughly 8% of projected monthly earnings.

Use this guide to pressure-test private trade-school offers before you borrow. Compare the payment against the state wage page, then ask whether the speed of the program is worth the tradeoff.

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