General Question About Education and Student Loan Debt

[Robert Ashline]

Hey guys, I have a very specific and personal question that I'm sure will spur many different answers and opinions. I am 23 years old and I am currently still a freshman in college, I started late back in the Fall of 2018. I am attending a community college where two semesters cost me on average about $5,000. I am majoring in accounting because my goal is to turn my real estate investments into a well operating business. However, I am questioning if an undergrad degree would be worth the student loan debt while I am also in pursuit of acquiring investment properties. I do not have to start making payments until 2023, but that monthly payment down the road could affect my future prospects of positive cash flow. I currently work in healthcare administration full-time with great benefits and a 401k plan. I am living frugally and saving 40-50% of my income to build a down payment fund for my first buy; I'm going to house hack with an FHA Loan, I plan to buy in 2020 with 10% down to reduce monthly payments. In your own opinion, would it be more beneficial to focus on working and side-hustling to save up, while also focusing on real estate investment? Or would an undergrad degree be worth the student loan debt in the long run with my long-term goal of turning my real estate investments into a business? I understand that this is a very personal topic and one that only I can decide on, but I would appreciate the opinions and insights from the BiggerPockets community.

Thank you guys!