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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.

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | VIN Foundation Student Loan Repayment Simulator - Forgiveness Planning Module Capital Gains Tax

Student Loan Forgiveness Planning: Capital Gains Taxes

Over the last couple of years, a common question has come up regarding capital gains taxes on student loan forgiveness planning investments. Capital gains on forgiveness planning is an excellent observation and a great thought experiment for anyone using an income-driven plan and anticipating forgiveness. I’m glad people are turning their wheels on how all […]

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Federal Student Loan Repayment Pause Extended Again! Here is What You Need to Know…

Maximize the pandemic forbearance benefits by understanding your income-driven plan recertification dates. Updates at a glance: Federal student loan pandemic forbearance benefits are extended through Aug 31st, 2022. The earliest you could be required to recertify your income for an income-driven plan is March 2023. If you are married and have been filing your taxes

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Increase in Federal Poverty Rates for 2023: Why that matters for your student loans

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. The federal student loan income-driven repayment plans are impacted by these updates.Income-driven repayment can be extremely beneficial for veterinarians. Especially for new grads who start their careers with a

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New Grad Student Loan Questions and Answers: Consolidation

Updated for 2023 graduating veterinarians: There are some new changes and proposals to be aware of as you enter loan repayment. Here are some common questions about using a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan that we tackled live during the most recent New Veterinary Graduate Student Loan Playbook Webinar. To consolidate vs not consolidate? Absolutely start

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | Blog | Veterinary School Student loan Interest Rates for 2021-22 Academic Year Increasing Title: InRateChart_2020-21

Student Loan Interest Rates Increase for 2021-2022 Academic Year

Each spring, we closely monitor the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield to see the final number setting the federal student loan interest rates.  For the 2021-22 veterinary school academic, the answer is higher interest rates than last year, but some of the lowest interest rates seen in the last decade. Federal student loan interest rates are updated

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | Sizing up the student loan forgiveness tax exemption

Sizing Up The Student Loan Forgiveness Tax Exemption

Originally posted on VIN NewsIf you have student loan debt and are heading toward forgiveness through an income-driven repayment program, you may have felt a surge of excitement when you learned the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included a tax exemption for canceled student loans. I do, and I did. Then I studied the

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | Blog |

Student Loan Forgiveness Planning: Preparing for the Tax Bill

Repaying student loans is stressful, complicated, and different than repaying typical business or personal loans. As a result, veterinary students, new graduates, seasoned veterinarians, mentors, and even financial professionals often struggle to determine the best repayment strategy for themselves or colleagues. A major difference, typical business or personal loans normally are paid over a period

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | COVID Repayment Restart | Veterinary Student Debt Help

COVID-19 Student Loan Repayment Restart

COVID-19 Student Loan Repayment Relief Ending: Strategies for Re-entering Repayment Since March 13, 2020, borrowers with federally held student loans have received student loan repayment relief. Interest rates have been set to zero percent, payments have been suspended, and for those using income-driven repayment or working towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the suspension time has

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | Webinar | Repay Wiser: choose the right student loan repayment strategy for your situation to save time and money

The First Two Years of Student Loan Repayment for Veterinarians

Graduating Veterinary Students: Here’s what the first two years of student loan repayment can look like using an Income-Driven Repayment strategy Student loan repayment is financially and emotionally stressful. The earlier you have a student loan repayment strategy, the more time, money, and stress you can save yourself throughout repayment. As a veterinary student and

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | Blog | Aspiring Veterinarians Apply Smarter

For the Aspiring Veterinarian – Apply Smarter!

Veterinary medicine is experiencing a student debt crisis. Yes, many higher education graduates experience loan repayment hardship; however the magnitude affecting recent veterinary graduates is unique.  Every day I counsel pending and recent graduates through the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and via VIN Foundation who report student debt balances in excess of $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, and $500,000 with incomes between

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