Survey: 60% of parents have school-related debt, and most are planning to add more this fall

  For most families, back-to-school shopping isn’t a short-term, seasonal expense that ends when the school year begins. New data shows most parents borrow money to cover school costs year-round, and few are paying it off before taking on new school-related debt. In a May 2026 survey of over 1,000 parents of K-12 students, 89%