Federal Direct Loan interest rates for graduate school break their upward trend Federal student loan interest rates have a fixed rate for the life of the loan. That fixed interest rate depends on when you receive the loans. Each spring, we closely monitor the federal treasury yields. With all of the economic uncertainty this year, […]
Student Loan Interest Rates: Slightly Lower for 2025-2026 Academic Year Read More »
It’s been a head-spinning start to 2025. Federal student loan repayment has not been spared any uncertainty. For the 2025 graduating class, getting started in student loan repayment is more complicated than ever. Much of the student loan uncertainty centers around the available repayment options, application processing, and forgiveness for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Even
The Student Loan Consolidation Conundrum for 2025 New Graduates Read More »
What IDR options are available in this latest update? After a February ruling from the 8th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, the Department of Education removed all Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan applications. Federal student loan servicers also paused processing of previously submitted applications. The temporary pause prevented all federal borrowers from applying for any IDR
Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated Read More »
What happened to the IDR application? Last Friday (2/21/2025), the Department of Education (ED) took down the electronic applications for all income-driven repayment (IDR) plans and consolidations. This week (2/25/2025), they also removed the paper/PDF applications for IDR plans. ED cites a ruling from the 8th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals last week. The court
All IDR applications for student loans are paused – Now what? Read More »
As one federal administration ends and another begins, let’s use this transition period to review where we stand with federal student loan repayment. Last week, the Department of Education (ED) began posting the forgiveness payment count data for borrowers using income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Look for your “IDR End of Payment Term” data in your
IDR Forgiveness Payment Count Data Available Read More »
The recently updated 2018 Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines determine your minimum monthly student loan payment. Poverty guidelines are used for many different U.S. government programs. One of the most important uses for veterinarians is the Discretionary Income calculation used to generate the minimum monthly student loan payment of federal income-driven repayment plans (IBR, PAYE, REPAYE). Income-driven student loan
Estimate Your Minimum Monthly Student Loan Payment Read More »
Amber McElhinney is a 2nd-year veterinary student at UC Davis. In an effort to help pre-veterinary students as they prep for applying to veterinary school we thought Amber’s insight into her personal pre-veterinary journey can help others. We hope you enjoy! As always, please reach out with any questions or feedback, or leave a comment
Veterinary School Panel Interview Tips Read More »
On December 18, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the reopening of the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) student loan repayment plans. These Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans, which were temporarily closed due to the introduction of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, offer additional monthly payment options that
PAYE and ICR income-driven repayment plans temporarily reactivated Read More »
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 »
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 plan. The VIN Foundation Student Loan Repayment Simulator is now using the
Increase in Federal Poverty Rates for 2023: Why that matters for your student loans Read More »
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