Graduate Debt Free

“Graduate Debt Free is a must-read for college-bound high school students and their parents. Over the past 20 years, as the owner of a private College Counseling and Educational Consulting firm, I have advised thousands of high school students on the sensitive issue of financing college. Shutler’s book answers hard questions about college costs that people want and need to know but are often afraid to ask. I wholeheartedly recommend it for families diving into both the college application process and the daunting task of determining how to pay for their child’s college years.”

—Casey Gendason, College Guidance Counselor, Dallas, TX

“Students who are willing to chart their own path should put Graduate Debt Free at the top of their summer reading list. I’ve used many of the ideas discussed in the book since graduating from high school in 2018 and community college in 2020. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, so I have paid my own college costs by alternating between studying full time at Florida State University and working full time. Shutler’s recommendation of community college plus state university worked well for me. It allowed me to gain real-life work experience while building connections for my future career. This route took me a little longer, but I am now on track to finish my bachelor’s degree in accounting next year without any debt. Get this book and make a plan to graduate without a boatload of debt.”

—O’Neil Finley, Florida State University student, Tallahassee, FL

“For years I’ve searched for a guide to help students and their parents figure out how to finance a college education without sinking into debt. Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix is exactly the guide I’ve been looking for. By first identifying the 12 common assumptions about college that form a “matrix” in people’s minds and then exposing the factual weaknesses in those assumptions, Shutler has made a genuine contribution to both the college selection process and the college financing discussion that both high schoolers and their parents can relate to. This book is an absolute must-read for high school students who aspire to become college educated while minimizing debt.”

—Veronica Guzman Pulido, Director of College Counseling, St. Mark’s School of Texas

“Every once in a while, a book reframes the discussion in a new light. Graduate Debt Free reframes the discussion of student debt in the same way Malcolm Gladwell’s books reframe the discussion of social psychology. Applying a business owner’s practicality, a lawyer’s insight, and a parent’s sensitivity, Shutler deconstructs college finance decisions to help students attain a degree without crushing debt. As a person who accelerated student loan payments to retire my graduate debt in eight years, I wish I’d had this book back then to help me avoid that eight-year suspension of normal life experiences. Don’t read this book—drink it. Uncover the reasons behind student debt and protect yourself from it.”

—AmiLynne Carroll, MPA, Denver, CO, author of Conversations of Consequence: Lessons from the Still Small Voice

“As a parent with two daughters in high school and a son not far behind, I was thrilled to read Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix. Before reading it, I had been deeply concerned about college debt and its impact on my children’s futures. After reading it, my thinking has been rearranged about the entire college process. It presents a strong argument for students working backwards in the college selection process by first selecting their college major and then identifying the college that can deliver that major without a lot of debt. My children now have a summer reading assignment that will help them think through strategies to avoid college debt. Graduate Debt Free is an education in itself.”

—Thomas Browning, PhD, Co-Founder and former COO of Foot Cardigan, Dallas, TX

“Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix is essential reading for parents and their high school age students. Comprehensive, intelligent, reader-friendly, and thoroughly abreast of the times, it unveils surprising facts behind widely held misconceptions about college. At a time when the discussion of every national-level issue seems to be hyper-politicized, Shutler’s well-researched book is refreshingly apolitical. A whole world of college guidance counselors and community college administrators will welcome the book as a trusted resource for themselves and their students. Read it with your college- bound high schoolers and watch old assumptions evaporate.”

—Eric Georgatos, JD, Venture Capital/Startup Investor, Celina, TX

“After 20 years of counseling high school students and their parents in the college selection process, I found Shutler’s book compelling. Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix is a comprehensive guide to obtaining a fine education while avoiding burdensome student debt. With a lawyer’s precision and attention to detail, Shutler explains the bewildering array of issues that confront 17-year-olds and their parents when they apply for college. His research is thorough: he buttresses his arguments with copious footnotes. This book will help facilitate the sometimes-difficult discussion between high school students and their parents about how to pay for college. This book is now mandatory reading for all my clients. Read it and discover a whole new outlook on college.”

—Rebecca Larkin, EdD, College Guidance Counsellor, Greenville, TX

“As a financial planning practitioner with over 34 years’ experience, I have seen the devastating burden of student debt on people and how it can derail their financial success. Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix should be read by all high school students and their parents before their first college visit. Shutler debunks the myth that everyone needs a college education in order to be financially secure. Read this book as your defense against the groupthink that encourages people to blindly follow like lemmings into the crippling abyss of debt.”

—Brian M. Ursu, CFP, President, Intentional Wealth Advisors, LLC, and author of Now What? A Practical Guide to Figuring Out Your Financial Future

“I’ve followed Dave Shutler’s career since we were US Air Force ROTC cadets together at Duke. After he retired from the Air Force, I watched him grow a construction business from start-up to entrepreneurial success and launch several other ventures. With everything on his plate, I was curious why he would spend several years researching and writing this book, mostly at night. Get a copy of Graduate Debt Free and read it to find out the captivating answer. On every page you’ll find useful tools to unmask the reality behind student debt and to help students graduate from college without a huge debt burden.”

—Bruce Luehrs, MBA, Managing Partner, Rittenhouse Ventures, Philadelphia, PA

“Graduate Debt Free helped my high school age son make a workable plan to pay for college rather than relying on his prowess in sports to land an athletic scholarship. It laid out information on colleges in a simple and clear way, allowing our family to have a realistic conversation about ways to complete college without overwhelming debt. Thank you forever for researching and writing this guide to life after high school!”

—Becky Neale, Parent of High School Athlete, St Louis, MO “As a professor of English at a private university, I’ve taught hundreds of incoming freshmen from all socioeconomic backgrounds. They need this book! Graduate Debt Free fills a gap in the college finance literature by identifying 12 faulty assumptions that can lead students and their parents into college debt. Shutler deconstructs the assumptions in a way that an English professor—and her students—can truly appreciate! This book should be required reading for aspiring (and current) college students. Grab a copy and let it recalibrate your thinking about the problem of student debt.”

—Heidi Barker, MA, English Professor, BYU-Idaho, Rexburg, Idaho

“I have 16- and 17-year-old children thinking about college, so Graduate Debt Free is a very relevant topic for my family. The book challenges the status quoin a thorough and thought-provoking manner, giving insights and practicaladvice. My high schoolers enjoyed reading it because it addresses the choices they have to make head on and walks them through the thought processto help them reach their own conclusions. As a parent I found the detailedfootnotes helpful to explain the legal background and the reasoning behindeducation policies. I highly recommend this book, especially for parents and students who are puzzling over the college decision.”

—Matthew Schwerin, Advanced Medical Support Assistant, Dallas, TX

“ As a high school student, I found the discussion of education . la carte in Graduate Debt Free very interesting. It showed how students can take advantage of the competitive pay at fast food restaurants as well as earn partial scholarships. I also liked the idea that students can pay for college by working at family dine-in restaurants. Besides getting inexpensive meals, they can make money through tips, learn how to give quality service, develop social skills with customers, and qualify for scholarships. The book gives a deeper view of college than just academic studies and shows a path for students to minimize college debt.”

—Kavish Patel, Hebron High School Student, Lewisville, TX

“As the parent of elementary-school children, I have dual concerns always looming in the back of my mind: finding the right college for them and figuring out how to pay for it. Shutler’s book, Graduate Debt Free, put my mind at ease by addressing the prevailing wisdom about college debt and debunking the myths that surround it with clear data and cogent analysis. I recommend this book to any parent looking for a more thoughtful and informed path forward for their children.”

—Jennifer Rowe, MPA, Rowe and Company, Steamboat Springs, CO

“As a former Principal in California Public Schools, I’ve observed that students considering college after high school often feel overwhelmed. This book, Graduate Debt Free, will allay their concerns. Each chapter shines a light on specific assumptions that contribute to that feeling and then challenges those assumptions with factual analysis to help students address their concerns. If you decide to go to college, Shutler’s book is your new best friend. It will help you deal with college anxiety and reach the goal of graduating debt free.”

—Robert G. Storm, MA, former Principal, California Public Schools, Wylie, Texas

“I am a homeschooling mom with a daughter in middle school and a son in high school. I have committed the past 10 years to my children’s education. I want them to continue with college, but I don’t want them to be saddled with debt. Shutler’s book Graduate Debt Free was an answered prayer. It allowed our family to have a thoughtful conversation about college choices and how those choices can lead to burdensome student debt. Our decisions about college education will now be much more informed and intentional. I highly recommend this book for homeschooling parents and their college-bound children.”

—Wendie Hosmer, Homeschooling Parent, Godfrey, IL

“As Head of a private school in Houston for almost two decades, I have made education my life’s work. As a woman of color, education has been my lifeline. My grandmother had to drop out of college because she couldn’t afford to finish, but my mother got her bachelor’s degree, and I got my master’s degree. More recently, my daughter earned her PhD and is now a university professor. In four generations, education has lifted up my family. But it has taken a great deal of debt to reach this goal. So when I saw Shutler’s book Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix, I was intrigued, to say the least, and read it right away. It offered ways for all people to overcome hidden assumptions that lead to college debt. I highly recommend this book to all students, but particularly to students of color, who aspire to earn an education to improve their lives, generation after generation.”

—Emily Smith, MA, Retired Head of School, The Branch School, Houston, TX

“As disabled veterans who utilized our GI Bills for college expenses, we have not personally experienced the reality of student debt, so we are learning the process in real time with our three sons. Because one son is in community college, one is preparing for an out of state university, and one is still in middle school, navigating college applications, scholarships, and student loans is at the forefront of our minds. It is a constant struggle to balance our excitement and our worry about their financial futures. Graduate Debt Free has proven to be the perfect tool to facilitate a meaningful conversation with our sons. It offers factual guidance in an unbiased manner by breaking down 12 common assumptions from the student’s perspective. Being able to easily open that door to communication is just the beginning of the benefits this book offers. Graduating debt free IS a real possibility, and Dave Shutler has laid out the path to get there. I highly recommend all high school students and parents read this book . . . the sooner the better!”

—Kelly & Brett Olson, USAF Veterans, Fredericksburg, VA

“It could be a tall order to ask your high schooler to read this book, but do it anyway! Before they head off to college, read it with them and discuss every chapter. Student debt will be one of the biggest challenges facing our next generation—unless they protect themselves by reading Graduate Debt Free and putting these principles to work.”

—Tom Bronson, founder of Mastery Partners, Inc. and author of Maximize Business Value: Begin with the Exit in Mind, Southlake, TX

“As the former General Director of the National Institute for the Evaluation of Education in Mexico and author of three books on youth counseling, I consider Graduate Debt Free essential reading for parents and high school students who plan to attend college, particularly Hispanic students. Shutler’s book is a nuts-and-bolts guide to help them navigate the entire journey of deciding where to go and what to do after high school. It unmasks 12 false assumptions about college that can lead families into long-term debt and then offers resources to avoid that debt. For families trying to make wise decisions about colleges and careers, this book offers data-backed tools to help them tackle the decision process. Get this book and open up a healthy family discussion about avoiding student debt.”

—Estela Rodriguez, MA Ed., former professor and author of Youth and Professional Counseling, Aubrey, TX

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