Academic advisors likely will encounter financially at-risk (FAR) students who jeopardize their chances of completing a college education and compromise their economic futures by accruing burdensome debt. Students may use loans and credit cards to pay for the necessities of a college education, but many also generate personal debt by financing nonessentials while attending college; that is, they borrow to enjoy an expensive lifestyle that they cannot sustain after graduation while living independently. The article traces the history of premature affluence, articulates the borrowing practices that make FAR students susceptible to dropping out of college, and describes the boomerang generation. It concludes with suggestions for detecting FAR students and ways advisors can help all undergraduates make responsible financial decisions.