Putting this here on the regular chat board instead of the Vesnali one, just ... because. Its real life stuff. So ... I wanted to be able to refer back to it after Vesnali ends.

Anyway. I did my student loan exit counseling on the student aid website. Both of my choices (lowest monthly payment, lowest paid total amount) told me to do the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan and I can meet the eligibility criteria for PSLF (public service loan forgiveness). I can also check into the Teacher Loan Forgiveness but not sure that will change anything? (thats where after 5 years, they pay up to a certain amount for me). - But if I do this after 5 years, those 5 years of payments do NOT count towards the PSLF plan....so if I understand right, I kind of have to choose between the two... Anyway, that plan makes my payment around $100 a month, and then after 10 years I can do the PSLF and it will pay off the remaining almost 7k (because due to interest accrual the total amount after 10 years would be around 18k instead of the 12k I actually borrowed lol) Guess as long as I pay less out of my pocket it all works out? If I just paid off in 10 years, I'd be paying over $150 a month, which really isn't that much a monthly difference, but then I'd be paying off 18k out of my own pocket instead of the 10-11k lol So yeah...guess just paying less makes sense? Especially if the government recommends it anyway eh? :P

For sure, Kat! I'm in favour of Paying Less Money :D especially when it's due to interest. That's paying money for nothing other than time, which for student loans feels like daylight robbery to me. Student loans should be interest-free, out of principle :P

It sounds like a good plan to me. So the only thing still up in the air is the Teacher Loan Forgiveness!

Exactly, and from what I've learned, its "up to" the 5k forgiven, and they may only choose to forgive 1k or 3k, not the full 5k...so I am thinking that the PSLF will be better in the long run, as it pays off closer to 7k for sure.

edit: yay I got a forum point!!

Oh, so you have to decide between them? You can't do both? I guess that would've been too easy huh :D but yeah in that case, seems pretty solid! Better to wait a bit more but get a higher amount covered than a vague "maybe x, maybe y" amount in a shorter timeframe.

I COULD do both, but then I think I'd be paying more and for longer - lol So that doesn't make sense. Because if after 5 years I did the teacher one, then they paid off that whatever random amount, I could then do the 10 years for the other one with the remaining amount I owe....but I think doing that in the end, I would end up paying more than just doing the 10 year by itself.

Unless I'm somehow misunderstanding something. I did hear/read something about a forbearance, where I don't pay at all for the 5 years, and THEN they decide how much to pay and THEN I start making payments... but I'm just really not sure ....

plus, why wait over 15 years, when I could get it taken care of in 10?

Ah, loan stuff is so needlessly complicated! It sounds like a good plan to me, but I don't feel like an expert haha :D

I for sure, am also not an expert. I am probably just going to go with the recommended by the government payment plan, which is the $100 a month for 10 years and then the PSLF to "forgive" and pay off the remainder.

I sometimes wonder, if we value education so much, why do we charge so much for it? Early education is free, why isn't college? Or at least make it cheaper if its so valued, so that more people can afford to do it and don't go into debt over it.

Yes! 100 a month does seem very doable.

This morning I took my kitty to the vet. And because I am always nervous about her vet appointments, I did not sleep well the night before! :P It feels like a silly thing to have been anxious about, but it is what it is.

My cat got her shots, got dewormed, and also had her eyes checked, since I've recently noticed her having irritation there. Nothing major the problem there, she did get eye drops but gentle ones (not that she likes those any more, but then that's valid - who likes eye drops?). But! Vet noticed some inflammation on her teeth. Which might lead her to scratch more, which might lead to dirt in her eye... so that might be the underlying issue!

So now my cat has a vet-dentist appointment. Because the waitlist is long, it is in September. But I'm honestly glad for it, because it's gonna be so expensive and I need some time to save up for that.

Oh goodness. That is a long wait. Hopefully all will be well with the kitty teeth. Belle has to go back for her rabies shot in October. That's always fun. She hates getting it. Has to be muzzled.

Oh no! That sounds very unfun, poor Belle. I guess the shot must hurt!

My cat hates the most when she is held down for a blood sample. She will cry her heart out during the process, and then the staff at the vet tries to reassure me, because I don't like that any more than she does! Kind of funny, that, but of course, talking to the cat instead doesn't do much :P

These things are a bit difficult to stand next to in my opinion, but it is for their best. Always gotta remind myself that it's worth it, be it rabies shot or a blood sample.