College classes in South Florida are starting a little later than usual this week, thanks to Tropical Storm Fay. Which gives me time to remind you of a survey last spring of 1,500 students done for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. They found that one out of four had paid tuition with a credit card.

A credit card? With those rates?

Calling that a “silippery slope” that will accelerate a slide into big debt, Peter Mazareas, vice chair of the College Savings Foundation, noted in an e-mail today that only long-term financial education can counter that bad decision. “Parents and students need to consider a strategic mix of savings and student loans,” he wrote.

I hear, too, that the student loan situation may not be as bad as has been reported. Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at U.S. Pirg, highlighted this story in his blog, here.