One of the interesting aspects of student loans is how much the responsibility falls on the young adult, not their parents, to make an informed decision.

The hope is that parents are still a resource of information and will be able to guide their students through this process.

However, a recent poll showed the following:

Almost half (48 percent) of the people surveyed by the Credit Union National Association, a national trade association for credit unions, said they don’t know how many loans their children will need to take out to pay for college. About a quarter of families were also clueless on the total dollar amount their children would need to borrow over the years.

It’s no wonder that many students are having difficulty making informed decisions when it comes to choosing debt. Their parents are either kept out of the loop or are not informed enough to advise their child on the best options to make.

Choosing to go to college is one of the most important decisions in a young person’s life. It’s a shame that so many adults don’t choose to inform themselves to help the next generation.