Veterinary Podcast

Listen in as student debt experts and Board Member Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. This episode we’re covering the top three trends from the trenches of student loans: 1) Consolidation procrastination 2) Using the wrong repayment plan 3) Incorrect minimum monthly payments. Now is the time to pay attention if you’ve had your head in the sand with your student loans, so listen in and also learn if you are in The Pickle!
 
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, where she completed her BS at University of Kentucky. She is a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in vet school, she served as the National Business Certificate Director for the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) and as a board member for Vets for Pets and People. During this time she took an active role in wellbeing awareness and access within the veterinary community. Rebecca then worked as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found hiking, baking, 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
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 
Veterinary student loan repayment: trends from the trenches: https://vinfoundation.org/youre-running-out-of-time-to-consolidate-your-loans/
A ‘new’ income-driven repayment plan? https://vinfoundation.org/a-new-income-driven-repayment-plan/ 
Common Student Loan Consolidation Questions and Answers: https://vinfoundation.org/fed-student-loan-consolidation-faqs-questions-answers-considerations/
I have federal student loans. When do I need to recertify my income?
https://vinfoundation.org/i-have-federal-student-loans-when-do-i-need-to-recertify-my-income/
Got Federal Student Debt? You’re Now Closer to Forgiveness Than You Think: https://vinfoundation.org/got-federal-student-debt-youre-now-closer-to-forgiveness-than-you-think/
Student Loan FAQs: The one-time forgiveness count adjustment
https://vinfoundation.org/faq-one-time-forgiveness-count-adjustment/
Student Loan Forgiveness Planning: Preparing for the Tax Bill: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-forgiveness-planning-preparing-for-the-tax-bill/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Infographic ONE-TIME FORGIVENESS COUNT ADJUSTMENT:
https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-student-debt/student-debt-one-time-forgiveness-count-adjustment/
One-Time Forgiveness Count Adjustment Video Case Study, 1999 DVM may save more than $65,000 in student loan costs:
https://youtu.be/6gp7cXvEy8c
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
Repay Wiser:
https://vinfoundation.org/resources/repay-wiser-veterinary-school-debt-loan-repayment/
Borrow Better: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/borrow-better-veterinary-school-loan-debt/ 
New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/ 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
SAVE Repayment Plan Offers Lower Monthly Loan Payments
https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan
New Proposed Regulations Would Transform Income-Driven Repayment by Cutting Undergraduate Loan Payments in Half and Preventing Unpaid Interest Accumulation: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-proposed-regulations-would-transform-income-driven-repayment-cutting-undergraduate-loan-payments-half-and-preventing-unpaid-interest-accumulation 
Payment Count Adjustments Toward Income-Driven Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Programs:
https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
 
Department of Education press release (Nov 2022):  https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-continues-fight-student-debt-relief-millions-borrowers-extends-student-loan-repayment-pause 
 
Department of Education press release (April 2022): https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-announces-actions-fix-longstanding-failures-student-loan-programs 
 
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
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: studentdebt@vinfoundation.org
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, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
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!

Animal lover Becky Godchaux shares how she came to create the veterinary student scholarship offering two new veterinary students up to $140,000 each for their DVM education. Listen in to learn what inspired her generosity, how animals have positively impacted her life, and how she views the important relationship between the anima, the client, and the veterinarian. This is a great episode for animal lovers who want to support a healthy animal community. 
 
The VIN Foundation is honored to be the home of the Mike Dunn, DVM Veterinary Student Scholarship created by Becky Godchaux. Learn more about the scholarship in the link below. 
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
Veterinary Student Scholarship: https://vinfoundation.org/scholarship
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/

If you enjoy listening to this podcast and want to support these efforts, please consider making a donation to the VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/give.

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Listen in as student debt expert and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels and student debt team member Dr. Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. This episode we’re going through the current hot list of student debt topics the team is hearing from colleagues and a to-do list of what borrowers need to do now. 
 
Hot List:
Did you finish vet school before 2014? – You may have privately-held FFELs.  Consolidate and benefit from the one-time forgiveness count adjustment
Do you have loans that have been in repayment longer than you’ve been using income-driven repayment? – Consolidate and benefit from the one-time forgiveness count adjustment.
Are you eligible for PAYE? Are you using PAYE? – Make sure you find out before PAYE is phased out!
Did you make any payments before the pandemic forbearance benefits began, March 13, 2020? – Request a refund before the benefits end!
Do you know when your income-driven repayment renewal date is? Hint – it’s not until sometime after January 2024, at least. Use the My Student Loans tool to see your “Anniversary Date” and start planning your post-forbearance strategy.
Married? Have you been filing your taxes separately from your spouse recently because of your student debt? – You can amend recent prior year tax returns from separate to joint! We covered this in a recent Dear Dr. Debt column. Visit with your accountant to see if you can get a refund.
Graduating veterinary school in 2023? Congratulations! Did you miss the New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook webinar? – Here is a link to the playbook recording, slides, and checklist.
 
Honorable mentions (coming soon):
Most unpaid interest capitalization is going away starting July 1, 2023
One-time forgiveness count adjustments will be applied in 2024 (or sooner if you are due forgiveness)
The Supreme Court will rule on the special cancellation benefits this summer
Interest and payments are likely starting up later this summer, possibly after August 2023.
Interest rates have been set: 
 
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, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.
 
Dr. Rebecca Mears
Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, where she completed her BS at University of Kentucky. She is a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in vet school, she served as the National Business Certificate Director for the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) and as a board member for Vets for Pets and People. During this time she took an active role in wellbeing awareness and access within the veterinary community. Rebecca then worked as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found hiking, baking, 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:
Get Student Debt Updates: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-debt-updates/
VIN Foundation Student Debt Tools:
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

Additional links:
Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Repay Wiser:
https://vinfoundation.org/resources/repay-wiser-veterinary-school-debt-loan-repayment/
Borrow Better: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/borrow-better-veterinary-school-loan-debt/ 
New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/ 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Application: https://studentaid.gov/
New Proposed Regulations Would Transform Income-Driven Repayment by Cutting Undergraduate Loan Payments in Half and Preventing Unpaid Interest Accumulation: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-proposed-regulations-would-transform-income-driven-repayment-cutting-undergraduate-loan-payments-half-and-preventing-unpaid-interest-accumulation 
Student Debt Relief Information: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation 
Department of Education press release (Nov 2022):  https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-continues-fight-student-debt-relief-millions-borrowers-extends-student-loan-repayment-pause 
Department of Education press release (April 2022): https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-announces-actions-fix-longstanding-failures-student-loan-programs 
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
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Email VIN Foundation: studentdebt@vinfoundation.org

 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
 
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!