When the already putrid gas mileage on my 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo sharply fell by 7 miles per gallon, the combination of the gasoline odor coming from the vents and the herky-jerky transmission forced me, the already broke college student, to take the former “apple of my eye” into the mechanic for a fixin’.

A few days later, my mechanic gave me the bad news. Fixing the gas problem would cost me $200 for parts alone, and before he could tell me what the damage to my transmission would cost me, I stopped him. For a car I could probably get an extra-value meal for if I traded it in, I decided “Jennifer” and myself had had our last joy ride together. She had been good for high school and most of college, but it was time for a change.

However the stark reality of the situation struck me: purchasing a vehicle requires money. The 25 hours per week at Home Depot were just enough to afford the car payment, insurance and gas it took to get from home, 35 miles away, to school here in College Park, let alone any miscellaneous driving. I had no funds for a down payment, let alone for buying a car outright. Now it’s two weeks later and I’m the proud new owner of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. A few things make it easier than you think to buy a car while in school:

1. Student Loans – I know the word loans makes any words after it seem quite scary, but hear me out. Sallie Mae’s “Tuition Answer” student loan is a tax-deferred student loan, the interest on which can be tax-deductible, with borrowing limits between $1,500 and $40,000. This means you can get anything between the beater pick-up truck you see on the side of the road to a Lexus. Of course, the less you borrow, the less you have to pay back. The “Tuition Answer” loan is sent to you in a check, and all you have to do is wait for it to clear at your bank (7-10 very long business days).

2. Interest Rates – Using a tax-deferred student loan like “Tuition Answer” doesn’t have scary interest rates either. In fact, they are comparable to regular used-vehicle loan interest rates from places such as Capital One, with one difference. You don’t have to start paying for the loan until after graduation. If you work part-time like many students, you can opt to pay part of the interest on the loan each month and only pay the principal once you graduate.

3. Kelley Blue Book – If your current car is in better shape than Jennifer, you can value it in the Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com), an online guide that gives estimated return on a car in your area for trade-in as well as private sale. KBB is also a nice tool to make sure you’re not getting ripped off on the vehicle you’re thinking of getting with its approximate price on a specific car sold by a dealer in your area.

4. CarMax – If your parents aren’t close friends with an influential car dealer who can get you a deal, CarMax is the way to go. CarMax sells quality vehicles for thousands of dollars under “Blue Book” value. With the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, its nice to know you aren’t getting a car that has sustained flood damage, a promise made by CarMax.

5. Questions to ask the shady guy who wants to sell you “the perfect car” – Used-car salesmen have gotten a bad rap over the years for telling their customers anything to get the sale. The best thing to do is ask them as many questions as possible, for example:

Has the car ever been in an accident? Most dealerships run a CarFax report on the vehicles they sell.

Do you know who the owner was? If the dealer bought it wholesale, they can’t guarantee it doesn’t have any flood or crash damage.

What kind of checks do you do for mechanical problems? If they don’t do any, make sure you have your mechanic check it out to make sure everything is kosher.

How long is the warranty? Is it manufacturer or dealership? Most dealerships give a 30-day dealership warranty on their used vehicles with the opportunity to buy extended service plans.

With these tips and tools, you could be “rollin’ on dubs” in no time, so happy shopping!

Andrew Appler is a senior economics major and can be contacted at Andrew_Appler@msn.com.