Student loans are some of the hardest to work with. They usually can’t be discharged in bankruptcy without significant hardship, and they may even be difficult to consolidate, depending on the type of loans you have. So, how can you pay them down or get rid of them completely? There are a few options.
One good repayment option is the income-driven repayment plan offered through the government. These only work on federal loans, and private loans may or may not have a similar option depending on the lender.
Another option is to work in a field that allows you to have your loans forgiven. Yes, you’ll need to make payments for at least 120 months under an income-based repayment plan and work for 10 years in public service. Once this happens, you may request public service loan forgiveness.
Of course, not all people go into public services. However, if you’re a teacher or work in the Americorps Vista program, you might be able to have your loans forgiven. Perkins loans up to $27,500 and direct or Stafford loans up to $17,500 can be forgiven for teachers if they work in low-income schools in a full-time position.
Discharging student loan debts in bankruptcy isn’t easy, but it’s possible to get rid of student loans this way if you go through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. You will need to show that paying back these loans will continue to place you in undue hardship to get the courts to agree to the discharge.
These are only a few of the many options for repaying your student loans or having them eliminated. Your attorney can help you focus on the right choice for your situation.
Source: Student Loan Hero, “10 Ways You Can Get Out of Paying Student Loans,” Meredith Simonds, accessed Feb. 17, 2017
