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Objective: The objective of this study is to identify which factors are attributed as values of money that influence the debt propensity of students at a higher education institution in the Missões Region in the northwest of the state of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises descriptive, bibliographic and survey research. With the application of questionnaires for data collection, the object was students from a higher education institution, defining the target audience for the research as young people aged 15 to 29 years old from higher education courses in Administration, Accounting Sciences, Institutional Communication, Law, Dentistry, Pedagogy and Psychology. The data were analyzed using standard deviation, mean, Bartlett's test of sphericity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and reliability test using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, to evaluate the reliability of the answers to the questionnaire applied. And to verify the relationship between the variables, the Pearson coefficient was used. Results and Discussion: Initially, the student profile was identified according to age, city of residence, residence, gender, marital status and course. Next, in relation to the theme of debt propensity, questions about individual monthly income, dependents, professional occupation, financial dependence, frequency of use of credit and expenses were established. It was observed that the majority of the sample receives up to the minimum wage, has no dependents, is financially dependent and often depends on credit, but spends less than or equal to what they earn. They are aware of the importance of maintaining control over expenses and accept the possibility of contracting debts when they are able to pay them. In relation to the values that those surveyed attribute to money, six stood out, identified as pleasure, stability, progress, power, suffering and culture. Considering the relationship between factors attributed to the values of money and the propensity for debt, they appear to be similarly related, with debt being impacted as a result of the meaning that the interviewees give to money. Conclusion: The research concluded that the values attributed to money are related to debt. The extent to which young people associate money with feelings of pleasure, power, culture, progress, stability and suffering reveals that these factors make them prone to debt. The study contributed to providing opportunities for learning about the different factors that can be attributed as values to money and their relationship with the propensity for debt.