Student loan debt has an adverse effect on Americans' decisions to buy cars, homes and start families, according to new research.

The Huffington Post reported the nonprofit American Student Assistance (ASA), based in Boston, found one-fourth of college students said student loan debt affected important financial decisions.

The report found one-third of college students delayed marriage and 43 percent waited to start a family, but people also said loan debt strained their expenses on daily necessities.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) previously reported that student loan debt has a ripple effect on the greater economy. The coinciding research from the CFPB and ASA said major financial decision like buying a car and home can affect the economy at large.

"If student loan borrowers continue to sit on the sidelines and delay financial commitments, the U.S. economy will plod cautiously along -- rather than thrive with the help and economic investment of a new generation of well-educated consumers, eager to participate in driving the economy but hampered by their college debt," the report said. "It is in everyone's best interest to address this problem and make a concerted effort to lessen the burden that student loans are having on generations of American consumers."

The ASA favors lower federal student loan rates and increased government funding so schools can offer more grants and scholarships. They also believe public colleges should receive more funding and, in the private sector, businesses should help graduates pay back the loans.

Well over half the ASA survey respondents said they did not understand their repayment options and were confused by the paperwork. ASA did not hold back criticism for the colleges and universities themselves, saying they "must make a concerted effort to minimize tuition cost increases."

The report pointed out that students with more debt are far less likely to give back to their school, suggesting loans discourage alumni involvement. About three-quarters of the respondents said their loan debt discouraged them to do so or were not able to give as much as they desired.

Less donations are not likely to hurt the elite schools, but the recession will almost certainly take its toll on the smaller schools sitting on the lower tiers.