Having a student loan could influence whether America’s young adults first union after college is marriage or cohabitation. This is according to a study published in Springer’s Journal of Family and Economic Issues. Lead author Fenaba Addo of the University of Wisconsin Madison in the US says the findings highlight how attitudes towards marriage, living together and the perceived shame of accumulating debt have changed over the course of two generations among adults in the US. The study supports the idea that debt is becoming a barrier to marriage, as many couples first live together so that they can save, pay off debt and then be in a position to afford their preferred wedding.