CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced Wednesday that his office has released a website that helps students and parents make informed decisions when applying for student loans.

McGraw calls the site at www.wvago.gov/studentaid"Know Before You Owe" and says that the main goal of the utility is to helps students prioritize different types of student aid so they can avoid the burdens of student debt after college.

"Many students and parents think a college diploma is within reach only if they go deeply into debt," according to a news release issued Wednesday. "While loans can be helpful, McGraw's office designed 'Know Before You Owe' to steer young consumers toward scholarships and away from the types of the debt obligations faced by so many graduates today."

The site instructs students to research their college choices and provides online calculators so that they can compare schools side by side with the amount of money they will have to pay back after they graduate.

The site also warns against scams.

"There are lending groups out there taking advantage of students who are only trying to better themselves," McGraw said in the release. "This is to provide students and parents with the tools to ask the right questions before signing on the dotted line."