Why do we need student loans?

Student loans are designed to help future graduates tackle the costs of tuition, living expenses and everyday life so they can focus on putting their pencils to paper in school.

Student debt at a glance

Among all totals borrowed, students are taking out a range of loan amounts to meet their educational needs. The largest group, comprising more than 12 million people, borrows between $10,000 and $25,000. Over 400 thousand people are the outliers, borrowing upward of $200,000.

How student debt has grown over time

As time moves on and more people go to school, they’re taking on more substantial student debt. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that every generation’s average student loan balances have increased by 256% overall in the past 10 years.

Students younger than 40 account for 65% of borrowers, a generation that’s grown its loan balances by about 200% since 2004. Borrowers over 60 have jumped their borrowing by a full 1,000% since 2004.

Who borrows student loans?

Today, 44 million students of all ages take out student loans to cover the cost of secondary education. The largest group of borrowers are under 30 and make up 40% of all people carrying student loans. Since 2004, students under 30 have nearly doubled in number of borrowers — from 11.3 million to 17.3 million today.

The second largest group of borrowers are students in their 30s. They comprise about 27% of the borrowing pool. Students in their 40s and 50s make up about 27% as well, followed by the 6% of borrowers who are 60 or older.

How are we doing paying off these student loans?

Looking at trends since 2004, you’ll see that the majority of borrowers are having trouble decreasing their student loan balances. Only about 16.7 million of the 44.2 million borrowers are able to stay on top of their loans and lower their balances through regular repayments.

In 2015, 46% of borrowers had the same or higher balance than the previous quarter due to accumulated interest. 10% of students defaulted on their loans in 2015, and since 2004, the number of borrowers in default has quadrupled. With these figures, note that the number of borrowers overall doubled from 2004 to 2015.

How to pay off student loans

Don’t sacrifice your financial future when paying for your education. Stay on top of your student loans and avoid unnecessary interest by paying your loan installments by their due dates.

Regular repayments can ultimately improve your credit score. They let lenders know that you’re a trustworthy, less risky borrower when you’re in the market for a future car, home or personal loan.

Use these tips to take charge of your student loans:

Ways your employer can help pay off your student debt

With over 7 million of the U.S. population having defaulted on their student loans, recent graduates are desperate to land themselves in a high paying job in order to start paying off their student loans. However, a higher income is not the only way you can accelerate the speed at which you pay off your student loan.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Opting to work for the government or specific nonprofit organizations can result in your federal student debt (95% of total student debt according to Federal Student Aid) being forgiven after 10 years if you meet the right conditions.

After you’ve made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan – while working full-time for a qualifying employer – the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans.

Although the program is only applicable on Direct Federal Loans and not on Federal Family Education Loans or Perkins Loans, they can still be forgiven if you consolidate them into a Direct Federal loan.

Qualifying monthly payments:

• After October 1, 2007;
• Under a qualifying repayment plan;
• For the full amount due as shown on your bill;
• No later than 15 days after your due date; and
• While you are employed full-time by a qualifying employer

Qualifying repayment plan:

Any income-driven repayment plans (plans where your monthly payment is based on your income)

Qualifying employer:

• Government organizations (federal, state, local or tribal)
• Not-for-profit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
• Other not-for-profit organizations whose primary purpose is to provide certain types of qualifying public services

Qualifying federal student loan:

Any non-defaulted loan received under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program.

Case study: with PSLF Program vs. without PSLF Program

Potential amount saved: $4,654 – that’s 12% of your original loan of $38,000

Potential time saved: 12 months

Employer-provided student loan repayment assistance

Some companies are willing to offer incentives to potential graduate employees to assist them in paying off their student loan debt.

A poll of 3,227 HR professionals by SHRM found that 4% of employers offer employer-provided student loan repayment assistance. Finding the right employer can help you reduce the amount of time needed to pay off a student loan significantly. However, these payments aren’t exempt from payroll or income tax.

Companies such as Aetna, Fidelity, Natixis Global Asset Management and PWC offer their employees a lifetime maximum of $10,000 towards their student loans. Nvidia offers a maximum of $30,000 – that’s potentially 79% of a $38,000 loan! Other companies will offer a certain capped amount each year until the loan is paid off.

Volunteering your time (not technically “employer”)

Organizations such as SponsorChange offer direct student loan payments in exchange for volunteers who complete skill-based projects. While volunteer work isn’t technically employment, this is another avenue through which your time and services can result in money being directed toward reducing your student loan. Plus, volunteer work will look great on your resume.

In addition to doing something positive for the community, you’ll be paying off your student debt in the process.