For students with a significant amount of student loan debt, the excitement of graduating from college can be overshadowed by feelings of anxiety and fear. Debt perception is about more than the cost of a college degree, the amount of financial aid received, or the value families place on education. In this article, the author tells a story about David, a student, who graduated from college with more than $85,000 of student loan debt. He uses this story to define debt perception as, a psychological attitude based on an individual's history and beliefs around money and debt influenced by the values and habits of families and the characteristics of the communities where they grew up. The author goes into detail about the concept of financial literacy, which is often thought of as an individual or family responsibility, however, individuals and families, especially people of color or those from low-income households, may not have the ability or resources to teach financial literacy. All these points are detailed through following David's story of his goal of seeking higher education.