Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news and what borrowers should do now

Listen in as Executive Director Jordan benShea chats with student debt expert and VIN Foundation Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels about the latest big news. Tony covers what we know now about the student debt relief program, and what questions we still need answered. Tony also discusses what you should do now before the payment pause extension expires after December 31, 2022, and shares his thoughts on the new income-driven repayment plan.

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

GUEST BIO:Dr. Tony BartelsTony 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:

• Department of Education press release: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-student-loan-pause-extension-through-december-31-and-targeted-debt-cancellation-smooth-transition-repayment
• StudentAid.gov https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/
• VIN Foundation Blog post: https://vinfoundation.org/special-cancellation-student-debt/
• VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
• Check your current student loan details -- VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
• Get student loan help: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/
• VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
• VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
• Student Aid Data File, Consolidation: https://studentaid.gov/
• Student Loan Repayment Restart webinar recording:
• https://vinfoundation.org/climbing-mt-debt-student-loan-repayment-restart/
• 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 Pay again