Table of Contents Post

Listen in with student debt experts and Board Member Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we have three major topics we’re addressing: 1) a new challenge for the almost new grads 2) New Grad Playbook webinar and 3) the latest student loan updates.
 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
GUEST BIOS:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, 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 resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Dr. Rebecca Mears
Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, and a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca started her career as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member, currently serving as a member of the AAEP DEI Committee. Her interest in student debt education began with keeping her own education costs lower and grew from there. This was supported by her involvement in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), which she now gives back to as a National Advisor. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found obsessing over plants and hosting impromptu dance parties. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students. 
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Debt Repayment Prep Challenge: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-student-debt/debt-repayment-prep-challenge/ 
May 7th webinar – New Graduate Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated: https://vinfoundation.org/application-for-income-driven-repayment-plans-reactivated/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/ 
Borrow Better: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/borrow-better-veterinary-school-loan-debt/ 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
One-time Forgiveness Count Adjustment  https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Listen in with VIN Foundation board member and Student Debt Education lead Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we’re covering the latest news on income-driven repayment application changes 
 
Topics covered included:

What happened to the Income-Driven Repayment application?
If borrowers are using an income-driven payment plan right now, what should they do?
How do these changes impact monthly payments for borrowers?
How about borrowers who are hoping for PSLF? How do the recent changes impact them?
What’s the best approach for borrowers when dealing with loan servicers?

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
NOTE: This is an ongoing situation, for continued updates visit the VIN Foundation Blog and student debt message board areas.
 
GUEST BIO:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, 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 resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
Time for your student loan physical exam? VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
VIN Foundation Download My IDR Progress Google Chrome extension to help you grab a copy of your IDR forgiveness progress
VIN Foundation Blog, most recent:

All IDR applications for student loans are paused – Now what?
February 2025 Q&A from Climbing Mt. Debt Webinar: What’s Next for your Student Loans?

VIN Foundation Navigating Uncertainty Checklist, what you can do now: https://vinfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/VIN-Foundation-What-You-Can-Do-Now-Navigating-Student-Loan-Uncertainty.pdf
Climbing Mt. Debt webinar: What’s Next for Your Student Loans? by VIN and VIN Foundation, February 5th, 2025: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/repay-wiser-veterinary-school-debt-loan-repayment/#MostRecentWebinar 
VIN Foundation Relevant WikiDebt Resources:

IDR Profiles: What is your IDR profile?
IDR Discretionary income calculations

Personalized student loan help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Department of Education Updates on Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE Plan): 

https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-court-actions
https://www.ed.gov/save
https://studentaid.gov/ 

VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support programs these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!