In a decision that was both a practical life-planning move and a terrifying realization, I calculated the total amount of loans I’ve taken out in my college career. It was a lot of money. While I could have been financially smarter in my first years of college—more aggressively seeking scholarships, living off campus, saving a little money—the deed is now done and the next step is figuring out how to pay everything off.

College loan debt is commonplace in post-graduate life. A poll by the Associated Press and Viacom showed that 57 percent of students have to take out loans. Of that sampling, 85 percent said it was worth it to get a college education, and I’d have to agree. But whether it’s worth it or not, the money still has to be repaid, and each year a new generation of graduates find themselves in more and more debt as it gets harder and harder to find a job.

I’ve juggled solutions around—mostly in a joking manner—such as getting injured just enough to ensure I won’t be able to work, thereby having my loans dismissed—but not enough that I can’t live a fulfilling life. Or I could simply marry rich and hope my wealthy husband has enough cash lying around to cover the remaining balance. Apparently the latter isn’t such a far-fetched option.

According to a July 31 article on Huffington Post, more college students are turning to sugar-daddy-seeking websites to assist in paying off student loans. According to the creator of one such site, SeekingArrangement.com, approximately 35 percent of the site’s 800,000 users are students. There is now even an option to be billed as a “college tuition sugar daddy” on sites for potential sugar babies.

In a culture that typically revolves around girls who seek funds for Gucci handbags and Manolo Blahnik pumps, it’s refreshing to see sugar daddies utilized for practical things such as college tuition. And if all it took was a lunch or two to keep rich old men company, I’m sure it would be such a popular option that student debt as we know it would disappear.

Alas, the life of a sugar baby isn’t that easy. Sexual encounters are inevitable in situations such as these, and while debt may be worth a college education, I’m not sure entering a lifestyle comparable to prostitution (whether you see it that way or not) is worth a debt-free life.

There are certainly other options for those of us in debt.

Freshmen, in your remaining years of college, look to scholarships and grants to fund your education instead of immediately falling back onto loans. More work now can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Seniors, you—like me—may already have built up your debt. Start looking now for a job that will both support your postgraduation and allow you to put a little money away so you can be more prepared when the bills start rolling in.

In the meantime, I’ll finish out my education with the enormous amount I calculated hanging over my head, hoping that in the end it really will all be worth it.