"Online social lending, which cropped up about three years ago, has taken a new turn as families struggle more than ever to cover the soaring cost of college," The San Francisco Chronicle reports. "The trend is encouraging to some experts. 'I think it's one of the safer routes for a student to go if someone has friends or relatives who might be willing to loan them money,' said Bob Shireman, executive director at Project on Student Debt, who has generally been cautious of peer-to-peer lending. Ideally, federal loans - with all the protections they afford - should cover students' college costs, said Justin Draeger, spokesman for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. But because private loans have become a necessary evil, peer-to-peer lending is an intriguing option, he said. 'Anything innovative that's allowing students to have access to low-cost money to go to college is a good thing.'"