Veterinary Podcast

Listen in with student debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series covering the latest news and information on student loans.

In this episode we have seven major topics we’re addressing:

RAP rule change alert
What does this rule change mean for repayment strategies
Class of 2026 new grads, STILL do not consolidate
Determine your IDR profile, know your monthly interest accrual, know your starting repayment balance, & run your Simulations!
RAP subsidies – what are they? Will you benefit? For how long?
What’s next? RAP to IBR 2014 vs. IBR 2014 only vs. RAP only vs. other?
How to get help

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

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:
Urgent message for Class of 2026: https://vinfoundation.org/urgent-for-class-of-2026-do-not-consolidate-your-federal-student-loans/
2026 New Grad Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: IDR Profiles
Student 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 this podcast: https://vinfoundation.org/give
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

2025 Year End Wrap & Preparing for 2026: https://vinfoundation.org/federal-student-loan-repayment-2025-year-end-wrap-and-preparing-for-2026/
40 veterinary school simulations in 60 days: 40 in 60 Project: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-student-debt/40-veterinary-school-loan-estimations-in-60-days/
Changes to federal student loans come into focus: https://vinfoundation.org/changes-federal-student-loans-come-into-focus/
Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loan-repayment-trying-to-leave-the-save-forbearance-choose-paye/ 
Student Loans in SAVE Plan Will Start Accruing Interest August 1st: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loans-in-save-plan-will-start-accruing-interest-august-1st/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
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, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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 student debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series covering the latest news and information on student loans.

In this episode we have seven major topics we’re addressing:

Quick review of student loan grace periods
Consolidation Caution
Application Ataxia
Start with PAYE, when possible
Important dates to add to your calendar
How to get help

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

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:
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: 

Changes to federal student loans come into focus: https://vinfoundation.org/changes-federal-student-loans-come-into-focus/
Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loan-repayment-trying-to-leave-the-save-forbearance-choose-paye/ 
Student Loans in SAVE Plan Will Start Accruing Interest August 1st: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loans-in-save-plan-will-start-accruing-interest-august-1st/ 
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 
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!

Listen in with student debt experts and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we’re covering the latest news on student loans as we close out 2024 and start 2025. 
 
Topics covered included:

December 18, 2024 US Department of Education announcement on Pay As Your Earn (PAYE) and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR)
Timeframes/features and additional information about PAYE and ICR
Income Driven Repayment (IDR) profiles
What this latest news means for the Save On Valuable Education (SAVE) plan 
Where things stand on the One-time Forgiveness Adjustment
Additional helpful information for borrowers

 
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
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
VIN Foundation IDR Profiles: WikiDebt – IDR Eligibility
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support programs these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

PAYE and ICR income-driven repayment plans temporarily reactivated https://vinfoundation.org/paye-and-icr-income-driven-repayment-plans-temporarily-reactivated/
The election is over. Change is on the horizon. What is next for your student loans? https://vinfoundation.org/the-election-is-over-change-is-on-the-horizon-what-is-next-for-your-student-loans/
Student Loan FAQs and What’s Next?
https://vinfoundation.org/september-2024-student-loan-update-faqs-and-whats-next/
SAVE is blocked. What does that mean for your student loans?: https://vinfoundation.org/save-recent-court-rulings/ 
Choosing between PAYE and SAVE income-driven plans: Are you in The Pickle? https://vinfoundation.org/choosing-between-paye-and-save-income-driven-plans-are-you-in-the-pickle/
A ‘new’ income-driven repayment plan? https://vinfoundation.org/a-new-income-driven-repayment-plan/ 

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 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
Department of Education Updates on Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE Plan): https://www.ed.gov/save 
SAVE Plan Court Actions: Impact on Borrowers: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-court-actions 
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 as student debt expert and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. This episode we’re going through the latest news from the Supreme Court, the Department of Education response, and what’s next for borrowers. Listen in to learn about the important dates coming up, and make sure to check out the links below to learn more. 
 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

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:
 
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/ 

Climbing Mt. Debt for Veterinary Interns and Residents: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/climbing-mt-debt-veterinary-intern-resident/

Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Application: https://studentaid.gov/
Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) replacing REPAYE: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan
Student Debt Relief Information: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation 
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: [email protected]

 
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!