Hi all, I am looking for advice on what to do with my loans. the PSLF thread keep deleting my post (not sure why). I have been in medical training forever and have 200k of student loans. I started PSLF when I finished medical school and have made a total of 55 qualifying payments on the SAVE and have another 12 or so in forbearance that I would *hope* to buyback.. I am about to start my job with a salary of 400k/yr. I am very grateful for my opportunity but I have been more anxious about figuring out PSLF than treating patients and would love some help from the community:
- My servicer site says that I am still in forbearance until October 2025 because I am on SAVE still. I have requested to switch to IBR but this has been in review for a long time. Am I just accumulating interest during this time? How long does it take for them to process to IBR?
- It seems like IBR will be an option (I was able to select it on FSA website). Since my loans are from 2015-2019, I believe it will cap at 10%. What income does IBR base its payment on? It is giving me an estimate of 800/mo which I think is based on my salary as a trainee but if I am going to be paying 4k/mo, it seems like I will end up paying back all of my loans by the time of forgiveness so I am weighing the option of refinancing since interest rates are low (4.3%) and not dealing with this roller coaster.
I feel like the FSA and servicer websites are not very clear and I am trying to avoid accruing more interest and paying more than I need to over the long run. I also don't have much clarity on how IBR works. The FSA Estimator does not give it to me as an option and also does not take into account buyback/etc, but it allowed me to select it on the application.
Thank you in advance for reading and helping out.
Looking for advice on PSLF
byu/IcyParking4406 inStudentLoans
Posted by IcyParking4406
2 Comments
Yes, you are accumulating interest. Processing times on applications are hard to judge right now due to all the chaos at DoEd.
Yes, for 200k of loans on a 400k salary you are usually better off just paying them off.
You have to recertify your income annually for income-driven plans. The IBR plan caps at the 10-year standard amount, so about $2300/month for your loans.