Articles
Deep dives on repayment plan changes, forgiveness programs, and the decisions that shape how you pay down your student loans.
Which Student Loan Borrower Are You? Understanding the Four Borrower Groups
Your first loan date matters, but so do older balances and new borrowing after July 1, 2026. Here’s how to find your borrower group and explore your repayment options.
Which Borrower Are You?
Your repayment options depend almost entirely on when you first borrowed federal student loans. Find your window below to jump straight to the guide written for it.
Old IBR (15% / 25-yr) is untouched, see how it stacks up against RAP.
Read your guide Oct 2007 – Jul 2014PAYE is closing on a fixed 2028 timeline. Here’s what replaces it.
Read your guide Jul 2014 – Jul 2026New IBR is built to last. See why it survived when PAYE didn’t.
Read your guide Jul 2026 or laterJust two options now: the Standard plan or RAP. Here’s how to choose.
Read your guideAll Articles
Residency and PSLF
Can your dental residency count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)? Learn which residency programs qualify, how to start earning credit toward forgiveness, and why dental specialists should think carefully before building their careers around PSLF.
Working for a Private Medical Group? You May Still Qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you're a physician working at a nonprofit hospital in California or Texas, you may qualify for **Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)**, even if you're employed by a private medical group or working as an independent contractor.
Borrowed Federal Loans Between July 2014 and July 2026?
You're in the last cohort with a foot in both worlds — eligible for the newer 2014 IBR terms and free to use RAP now that it's live. Here's why New IBR was built to outlast PAYE, and what to do if you're still parked in SAVE.
Which Student Loan Borrower Are You? Understanding the Four Borrower Groups
Your first loan date matters, but so do older balances and new borrowing after July 1, 2026. Here’s how to find your borrower group and explore your repayment options.
SAVE Forbearance Is Over — Here's the Decision to Make Before Your Deadline
The SAVE plan was struck down by a federal court, interest has been accruing on parked loans for over a year, and formal exit notices are already going out. Here's the real timeline and the choice in front of you right now.
PAYE Is Going Away: What Borrowers Need to Know About the Coming Student Loan Repayment Transition
PAYE is scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028. Here's what that means for how your payment is calculated, why the date you borrowed matters more than the date you graduated, and why waiting until 2028 to figure this out is the wrong move.
Private Refinancing and the Unintended Consequences: Part 2
So Why Might Private Refinancing Be a Bad Idea? You Lose Your Government Benefits
Private Refinancing and the Unintended Consequences: Part 1
An introduction to private student loan refinancing, including why borrowers refinance, how it can lower interest costs, and the important differences between private refinancing and federal Direct Consolidation.
Federal Consolidation or Private Refinance? Why the Difference Matters
Banks and private lenders often advertise student loan "consolidation" when what they're actually offering is a private refinance. Here's how to tell the two apart before you sign anything.
Borrowed Before October 2007? Your Old IBR Is Untouched — Here's How RAP Compares
The 2025 overhaul left Old IBR's statutory terms alone. Here's where you stand today, what the now-live Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) actually offers, and how to decide between them.
Borrowed Federal Loans Between October 2007 and July 2014? Here's Where PAYE Actually Stands
PAYE hasn't disappeared — but its runway is now measured in months, not years. Here's the real timeline, what changed with Old IBR, and why the old 'partial financial hardship' rule no longer applies to you.
First Federal Loan After July 1, 2026? Meet Your Two Repayment Options
RAP launched on schedule and is now the only income-driven plan open to brand-new borrowers. Here's exactly how it works, how it compares to the Standard 10-year plan, and how to pick between them.
How to Download Your MyStudentData File
A quick step-by-step guide to downloading your federal student loan data file from StudentAid.gov so your loans can be analyzed accurately.