10 Famous People Who Have or Had Student Loans

Even Public Figures Have Student Loans

If misery loves company, then student loan borrowers will find comfort from this group of public personalities who've borrowed to pay for college. They've done everything from taking on six figures in parent loans to defaulting on their college debt. Here's what they've said about paying down their student loans -- and what you can learn from their experiences.

Miles Teller

-- How you know him: Movies "Fantastic Four," "Divergent"

-- School: New York University

-- In his words: Teller revealed that he borrowed $100,000 in student loans. "My business manager says the interest is so low, there's no sense in paying them off. I can, if I want to have that badge of accomplishment, but until then I still very much have my NYU loans."

-- Takeaway: Borrowing $100,000 for college was a risky move -- experts say to borrow no more than your expected first year's salary.

Barack Obama

-- How you know him: President of the United States

-- School: Occidental College, Columbia University, Harvard Law School

-- In his words: "I was in my 40s when we finished paying off our debt. And we should have been saving for Malia and Sasha by that time."

-- Takeaway: Student debtors with children must weigh paying down their own debt versus saving for their children's educations. One resource: a tax-advantaged 529 plan.

Michelle Obama

-- How you know her: First Lady of the United States

-- School: Princeton University, Harvard Law School

-- In her husband's words: "Michelle and I, we're only where we are today because scholarships and student loans gave us a shot at a great education."

-- Takeaway: Student loans can be borrowed wisely. Using loans to pay for Harvard Law, where 92 percent of 2013 graduates were employed within nine months of graduation, was a calculated risk.

Jane Lynch

-- How you know her: The television show "Glee"

-- School: Illinois State University, Cornell University

-- In her words: "I went to a public university that my parents helped pay for, and we supplemented with student loans. And I was out of debt by the time I was 30. And I deferred a few times."

-- Takeaway: Borrowers can take a page out of Lynch's songbook. Her savvy college cost moves include attending an in-state university, postponing payments instead of defaulting and quickly repaying her loans.

Kerry Washington

-- How you know her: TV show "Scandal"

-- School: George Washington University

-- In her words: "I'm here, not just as an actress, but as a woman, an African-American, a granddaughter of Ellis Island immigrants, a person who could not have afforded college without the help of student loans."

-- Takeaway: The average borrower in the class of 2013 at GWU left with $31,337 in debt, so Washington isn't alone. But student loans help borrowers afford college, establish credit and, if they are federally backed, come with some generous repayment options.

Ted Cruz

-- How you know him: Senator from Texas, 2016 presidential nominee

-- School: Princeton University, Harvard Law School

-- In his words: "(I) took over $100,000 in school loans -- loans I suspect a lot of ya'll can relate to -- loans that I'll point out I just paid off a few years ago."

-- Takeaway: While Cruz didn't say which school his debt is from, a six-figure loan bill is typical for law grads. Borrowers from the law class of 2013 carried an average debt of $109,756, according to U.S. News data.

Finesse Mitchell

-- How you know him: "Saturday Night Live," 2003-2006

-- School: University of Miami

-- In his words: "I do know a lot about bill collectors. So, right now I'm speaking on behalf of all the people who ever took out a student loan for college, when I say, 'Back up off me, Student CitiBank!' Back up! Cause I know I'm late on my payments."

-- Takeaway: Dodging collectors can ultimately result in default and wage garnishments, loss of a driver's license and a host of negative consequences.

Martin O'Malley

-- How you know him: Maryland's former governor, 2016 presidential hopeful

-- Schools his daughters attended: Georgetown University, College of Charleston

-- In his words: The O'Malley family borrowed around $339,200 in mostly Parent PLUS loans. "I wanted (my daughters) to go in-state. But I lost the vote."

-- Takeaway: Parent PLUS loans -- available for up to the full cost of attendance, minus other aid -- carry a 6.84 percent rate in 2015-2016. Unlike parents, students can typically qualify for cheaper federal loans, at lower rates.

Marco Rubio

-- How you know him: Senator from Florida, 2016 presidential hopeful

-- School: Tarkio College, University of Florida, University of Miami Law School

-- In his words: "The only reason why I was able to go to college was because of federal grants and loans. But when I graduated from law school, I had close to $150,000 in student debt."

-- Takeaway: Attending public in-state colleges was a cost-conscious move. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees in 2014-2015 was $8,794, according to U.S. News data.

Kevin Bozeman

-- How you know him: TV show "Last Comic Standing"

-- School: University of Wisconsin--Whitewater

-- In his words: "I got one thing out of college: bad credit. That was all I got -- some student loans, man. I didn't know they wanted you to pay that back. I thought that was only if you graduated."

-- Takeaway: At one point, he says, he had his wages garnished. Now he's on a repayment plan. "I just felt like it'd hovered over my head long enough," he told U.S. News.

Learn to Tackle Your Student Loan Debt

When it comes to student loans, borrowers need to take stock of their own situation.

Explore more resources on student loans and financial aid online. And join the conversation by following U.S. News Education on Facebook and Twitter.

Susannah Snider is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering paying for college and graduate school. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at ssnider@usnews.com.