By Joshua West/reporter

Digging out of Debt, a speech about the culture of debt, will be presented at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Darlage Center Corner (NSTU 1615A) on NE Campus.

Randy Saleh, a NE business and personal finance assistant professor, will talk about the pressures of debt, describe its effects on people and provide strategies to help eliminate debt.

“Twenty-five percent of all people who file bankruptcy are under the age of 27 years old,” Saleh said.

The seminar will focus on emergency funds, credit scores and college debt.

“College debt is the No. 1 debt in America, more than cars, more than credit cards,” Saleh said. “It’s at $1.3 trillion.”

The average college student will leave college with an undergraduate loan of $33,000-$60,000, a credit card balance over $9,000 and a credit score of around 650.

“A credit score of 678 is considered a fair score, that just being fair,” he said.

College debt has increased throughout the years, making everyday life become harder for the average middle class family.

A lot of Saleh’s values and teachings about finance come from the courses he teaches and personal life. He said he grew up with a conservative father who was a product of the Great Depression and the World War II generation.

“That generation survived,” he said. “That was it. There was no feel-good about ourselves. We got to survive till the next day.”