Fees on these loans also can reach 33% of the outstanding balance if a student becomes seriously delinquent, according to Thomas Melecki, the director of the university's office of student financial services.

FORBES: Money Builder

Dale Nordquist, associate director of the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota, said Missouri's practical approach to understanding farm finances is relatively uncommon at large, land-grant universities where both students and professors are more likely to concentrate on theoretical approaches as opposed to practical solutions, and the use of personal data can still be seen as an intrusion.

NPR: Future Heads Of Family Farms Dig Into Financials