Life coach Victoria Krayna has financed six college educations, including her own. She, her husband and her four kids have learned plenty. One of the most important lessons of all those years of education: Use student financial aid wisely—life is unpredictable.

When Krayna’s son’s tuition disappeared in the post-9/11 market crash, Krayna and her husband refinanced their home to pay for his education. It might have been a successful strategy, says Krayna, but then her husband was hit by a car and incurred injuries that affected his personality. After 28 years of marriage, the couple divorced, leaving Krayna with the mortgage. {{RightSponsor53}}

Krayna rebounded, but she says that her experience has taught her not to count on the future.

Other education financing experts echo Krayna’s cautions. They say that while it’s sometimes necessary to take out an online student loan, you should never finance an online education with credit cards or other forms of consumer debt. Under only the rarest circumstances should you tap retirement funds.