Student loans are often necessary to help certain individuals pay the costs of college tuition and fees. However, since many college students are either returning or starting for the first time, but not directly out of high school, a credit score can often be problematic when it comes to certain financial needs. When a student who is planning to enter college is doing so later in life there may be the problem of a bad credit score if they have had financial difficulties or made bad choices concerning their personal finances.