Poll: Finances dictating college, career choices

WASHINGTON (AP) — No matter how many subjects they're acing, most college students these days find economics a grind.

Tricky financial calculations influence everything from what school they attend and what major they choose to how quickly they finish their degrees — or whether they graduate at all.

Money problems, not bad grades, are the reason cited by most college students who have considered dropping out, an Associated Press-Viacom poll finds.

Almost 6 in 10 students rely on loans to help with college costs, and nearly half who do say they're uncomfortable with the debt. A majority of students at four-year colleges say they routinely feel at least a little worried about having enough money to make it through the week, according to the poll, conducted in partnership with Stanford University.

Scrimping has long been part of the college experience, of course, but tough times in the real world mean even tighter money on campus.

Recession-battered parents have less money to spend on their kids' tuition. Jobs that used to be waiting upon graduation aren't there anymore — consumed by the nation's 8.8 percent unemployment rate.

And college prices keep going up, as states struggle with budget deficits. Average tuition, room and board rose to about $16,000 at in-state public schools this year and $37,000 at private schools.