It's not the college exams that some high school students are worried about, but instead the kind of debt that a higher education could land them in.

"We're just trying to find the cheapest schools possible because we don't know what we will be able to afford," said 17-year-old Mae Berlow, a senior at Lusher Charter High School.

Concerns over the nation's economic mess are now seeping into high school and college campuses across southeast Louisiana.  Wall Street's woes have only added to America's credit crunch, tightening the grip over loans, including student loans.

"When money is tight, the usual consequence is if your getting it all it might be at a much higher interest rate to make the college process much more expensive," said Mark Rosa, Tulane University business professor.

But Financial Aid Director Cathy Simoneaux says that's not the case for federal loans, which have a locked an interest rate locked in.

"And the federal student loans are the major source of funding for post-secondary education," said Simoneaux.

The Federal Stafford subsidized and unsubsidized loans are the most popular, according to Simoneaux.

The subsidized is based on financial need and is interest free while a student is still in school.  Once a student graduates, a 6 percent interest rate kicks in.  The unsubsidized loan doesn't require any kind of financial need, but the interest rate still remains steady at 6.8 percent, comforting news for students already racking up the costs of college.

"I  feel right now like I'm pretty secure," said 19-year-old Asha Jain, a sophomore at Tulane University.  "I have a lot of government type loans so the interest rates are fixed."

For those undergraduate students who need more than the $5,500 - $7,500 that federal loans can offer, the most popular alternative is private loans.  But Simoneaux says that's where the nation's credit crunch many end up creating the most trouble.

"Probably a higher interest rate for the people with the poorer credit," said Simoneaux.

And that has high school students worried about the kind of financial strain that could be waiting for them when they arrive on their future college campus.

"When it finally comes time for me to come to college I don't even know if I'm going to be able to pay off those loans that I get until, like, way into the future when I really feel I should be moving on with my life,” said 16-year-old Zuzanna Mrozec, an 11th grader at Lusher High School.

Just who qualifies for a private loan has a lot to do with your credit report.

In light of that, it's unlikely a recent high school graduate would be approved for a loan without a parent co-signing on it.

(To get a free look at your credit report, log onto www.annualcreditreport.com.  And to get more information on both private and federal student loans you can check out www.simpletuition.com.)