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Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

Dr. Tony Bartels graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and a VIN Foundation Board member. He and his wife have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation initiatives.

The election is over. Change is on the horizon. What is next for your student loans?

2 Comments / Veterinary School, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans, Veterinary Students / By

The long-awaited national election results are nearly all tallied, and we know one thing for sure: changes will be coming to student loan repayment. Changes were due to occur no matter the election outcome with the fate of at least one repayment plan and certain student loan forgiveness options tied up in the courts. With […]

The election is over. Change is on the horizon. What is next for your student loans? Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | student debt blog | veterinary student debt blog |September 2024 Student Loan Update: FAQs and What’s Next?

September 2024 Student Loan Update: FAQs and What’s Next?

2 Comments / Veterinary School, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans, Veterinary Students / By

Uncertainty sucks. It’s hard enough to make decisions about the future when we have some reasonable expectations of what may happen next. It’s nearly impossible when the path forward is cloudier than usual. With a recent court ruling blocking the new SAVE income-driven repayment plan and a frustrating response by the Department of Education (ED),

September 2024 Student Loan Update: FAQs and What’s Next? Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | What do the recent court rulings on SAVE mean for you?

What do the recent court rulings on SAVE mean for you?

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Debt Relief, Veterinary Student Loans / By

July 26th Update A federal appellate court blocked the Department of Education (ED) from administering the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment plan. Borrowers using SAVE will be placed in an interest-free forbearance. ED recently posted guidance (https://www.ed.gov/save) on how the ruling impacts borrowers in the short-term, pending continued litigation. Keep checking https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-court-actions

What do the recent court rulings on SAVE mean for you? Read More »

Federal Student Loan Interest rates through 2024-25 academic year

Student Loan Interest Rates: New high for 2024-2025 Academic Year

Leave a Comment / Veterinary School, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans, Veterinary Students / By

New high reached for federal Direct graduate school interest rates Each spring, we closely monitor the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield.  Student loan interest rates for the following academic year are adjusted based on where auction data for this note land in May.  For the 2024-25 academic year, the result is a continued trend of increasing

Student Loan Interest Rates: New high for 2024-2025 Academic Year Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | SECURE Act 2.0: Retirement plan contributions tied to your student loan payments

SECURE Act 2.0: Retirement plan contributions tied to your student loan payments

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Does matching student loan payments for retirement contributions make sense for veterinarians? How SECURE 2.0 changes employer retirement savings plans Recently, Congress passed and the President signed into law the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. There are many updates and changes to tax-advantaged savings options in this legislation that are taking effect in 2023 and

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Income-Driven Repayment: Recertify now, Switch plans, or Wait

Income-Driven Repayment: Recertify, Switch plans, or Wait?

7 Comments / Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Debt Relief, Veterinary Student Loans / By

Brace yourself, this is a long one. We’ve got a lot to cover with the recent recertification pause and confusion around renewals vs. switching repayment plans. Read straight through if you have a large mug of coffee or use the Table of Contents feature to quickly navigate to your section of interest. Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)

Income-Driven Repayment: Recertify, Switch plans, or Wait? Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | 2024 Graduating Veterinarians: Special Student Loan Timing Considerations

2024 Graduating Veterinarians: Special Student Loan Timing Considerations

2 Comments / Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Debt Relief, Veterinary Student Loans / By

What to do if you’re in The Pickle – or not Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from veterinary school, Doctors! Whether you’re in The Pickle or not, you have two critical homework assignments to complete before you graduate:  File a 2023 tax return; and Review your student loan repayment options, particularly your income-driven repayment plan

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Student Debt Student Loan Veterinary Student Debt Veterinary Student Loan PAYE vs. SAVE: Are you in The Pickle?

Choosing between PAYE and SAVE income-driven plans: Are you in The Pickle?

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On the VIN and VIN Foundation Student Debt Message Boards and during recent Climbing Mt. Debt webinars, hundreds of questions have been asked and answered. One of the most frequent questions is, “Should I switch to the new Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment plan?” In most cases, the answer is yes, you

Choosing between PAYE and SAVE income-driven plans: Are you in The Pickle? Read More »

2024 Federal Poverty Rates Published: Why that matters for your student loans

Leave a Comment / Veterinary School, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans, Veterinary Students / By

Federal Poverty Guidelines Each year in January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updates the federal poverty guidelines used to determine financial eligibility for certain programs. Your federal student loan monthly payments are impacted by these updates when you use an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. The VIN Foundation Student Loan Repayment Simulator

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Veterinary Student Loan Repayment: Trends from the trenches

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Questions & Answers, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Debt Relief, Veterinary Student Loans / By

You’re running out of time to consolidate your loans If you have federal student loans, you owe it to yourself to read this. ***NEW UPDATE: CONSOLIDATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL JUNE 30, 2024*** Why? Because there are time sensitive options you might need to pursue to save yourself lots of time and money.    For over

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