Best Studentloandebt Podcasts (2025)

1
AI Still Falls Short On Student Loan Forgiveness 10:26

Play Pause

7h ago10:26

10:26

Public Service Loan Forgiveness is one of the most sought-after federal student loan forgiveness programs, promising debt cancellation after 120 qualifying payments for borrowers who work in government or nonprofit jobs. But this program has also been plagued by years of confusion, regulatory changes, and uneven implementation. The whiplash for som…

1
Is Student Loan Forgiveness Processing Paused? 8:31

1h ago8:31

8:31

As student loan borrowers brace for the full impact of the OBBBA to take effect, questions are swirling about whether forgiveness has been completely suspended across the board. Some headlines suggest that no one is getting debt relief. The reality is more complicated. Whether student loan forgiveness is processing or not depends on the loan forgiv…

1
Student Loan Servicer Changes Coming Soon 6:26

4h ago6:26

6:26

The Department of Education has confirmed that it will transfer an unspecified number of student loan accounts away from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, better known as MOHELA, by the end of the year. This was revealed in a letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren (PDF File), who was asking for information from the Department of Education a…

1
SAVE Student Loan Plan Timeline Estimates: What To Expect 9:22

5h ago9:22

9:22

The future of student loan repayment for SAVE borrowers is now caught between a pending court ruling and how quickly the Department of Education can execute on the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that just passed. Borrowers in administrative forbearance under the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) plan know the future now, but they don't know when…

1
GOP Memo Seeks End To Public Service Loan Forgiveness 6:33

1d ago6:33

6:33

Barely weeks after Republicans secured passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) is calling for a follow-up effort. Its memo, circulated among congressional staff, recommends that lawmakers use another reconciliation package to reshape parts of higher education and financial regulation. This comes after…

1
Dept of Education Bars Work Study From Voter Registration 5:56

3d ago5:56

5:56

The Department of Education has issued new guidance (PDF File) clarifying how colleges should use Federal Work Study (FWS) funds. The updated guidelines emphasize placing students in jobs that offer hands-on, career-relevant experience tied to their studies, while prohibiting the use of FWS wages for voter registration or election-related activitie…

1
The Unfortunate Reason Why Your Salary Will Probably Go up a Lot This Decade 25:31

2d ago25:31

25:31

Big shifts are coming to student loans starting July 2026. If you’re carrying six figures of debt or even thinking about grad school, you’ll definitely want to hear this one. Unlimited loans are out, so pricey grad programs might not be as easy to join. Sounds scary, right? But this shift could actually work in your favor. Fewer students funneled i…

1
How Do Tuition Payment Plans Work 7:32

3d ago7:32

7:32

A tuition payment plan is a lesser-known way to pay for college as you go. It breaks your tuition bill up into smaller payments, allowing you to pay in installments over time. Remember, how you decide to finance your college education is going to be one of the most important decisions you make in your life. While a lot of students opt for student l…

1
How Do College Meal Plans Work? 6:35

4d ago6:35

6:35

College meal plans are a way to prepay for your meals while on campus. This can be a convenient way to get food, as most college dorm rooms do not have kitchens. Depending on the college, they may offer a variety of different college meal plans, ranging from pay as you go to an all-inclusive meal plan that covers all of your meals. However, meal pl…

1
How To Find Free Community College And Save Money 11:39

5d ago11:39

11:39

By The College Investor

1
Best Student Loan Alternatives 9:25

6d ago9:25

9:25

Being a college student may require you to figure out ways to pay for school without taking on a huge amount of debt. Perhaps it means working part-time or longer hours in the summer. It may entail researching for scholarships and grants. Some students use the GI Bill to cover the costs after deployment. It's a challenge to cover your tuition and l…

1
How To Fill Out The FAFSA For Divorced Parents 5:58

7d ago5:58

5:58

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form that needs to be filled out for you to receive financial aid from the government for college. But filling out the FAFSA for divorced parents isn't always straightforward. The FAFSA is set to launch on October 1, and this year marks the second year that parents and students will experi…

1
Fidelity Study Reveals Changing Views On Student Debt 6:14

8d ago6:14

6:14

A new Fidelity Investments study finds that economic conditions over the past several years are influencing how high school students plan for life after graduation and what they're willing to pay for college. More than half said living through recent financial instability has changed their view of higher education, prompting many to focus on afford…

1
U.S. National Debt Reaches Record $37 Trillion 8:24

10d ago8:24

8:24

The United States’ gross national debt has surpassed $37 trillion, marking an all-time high and raising concerns about the speed of borrowing and its economic consequences. The Treasury Department’s daily financial report released Tuesday recorded the total at $37,004,818,000,000. This milestone arrived years sooner than expected, with the Congress…

1
How Much Do Big Ticket Items Cost When You’re Doing Forgiveness? 8:33

9d ago8:33

8:33

Ever stop and think about how much that new car, kitchen remodel, or shiny toy really costs you — not just in dollars, but in hours, days, or even months of your life? We’re digging into what big-ticket spending looks like when you’re on an income-driven repayment plan that’s already taking 10–15% of your paycheck. We’ll show you how to reframe tho…

1
Final PSLF Eligibility Restrictions Move Forward For Comment 6:55

10d ago6:55

6:55

A new rule from the Department of Education could reshape the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) by redefining which employers qualify. The new rule, published today in the Federal Register (PDF File), would allow the Secretary of Education to block PSLF eligibility for organizations determined to have a “substantial illegal purpose.” T…

1
The Secret To What Colleges Want In Students 14:01

12d ago14:01

14:01

The college admissions process is notoriously competitive. The last several decades might even indicate that getting into college has become harder, overall. College acceptance rates hover at a national average of 68%, though the rate at some of the nation’s top institutions is a shocking 3%. Let’s put that into perspective, though. Of course, acce…

1
27,000 Borrowers Stuck In Student Loan Complaint Backlog 6:58

13d ago6:58

6:58

The Department of Education’s ombudsman office, which handles disputes from student loan borrowers, is facing a backlog exceeding 27,000 cases, according to a recent data sent to Senator Elizabeth Warren (PDF File). The surge comes after the office lost nearly two-thirds of its staff in sweeping layoffs authorized by the Trump administration earlie…

1
529 Plans Grow 8% in Q2 2025 Before Big Rule Changes 6:53

14d ago6:53

6:53

In the three months ending June 30, 2025, 529 college savings and prepaid plans saw one of their strongest periods of growth in years. The latest data from ISS Market Intelligence shows 17.3 million accounts holding $568 billion in assets, up from 16.8 million accounts and $508 billion a year earlier. That’s a 7.9% increase in accounts and an 11.8%…

1
Student Loan Complaint Backlog Grows As SAVE Borrowers Stay In Limbo 6:27

15d ago6:27

6:27

The week began with anticipation for the August 4 court status report in the lawsuit over the SAVE repayment plan. Borrowers hoping for clarity instead saw a short update from the parties indicating that discussions continue, with no agreed-upon timeline for next steps. The SAVE plan, designed to lower monthly payments for millions of federal stude…

1
Which AI Tool Gives The Best Student Loan Recommendations? 12:40

18d ago12:40

12:40

When families weigh their options for paying for college, the question “What’s the best student loan?” seems straightforward. But as we learned after asking five leading AI models (ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, Copilot, and Google Gemini) the answers can be incomplete, sometimes unclear, and occasionally misleading. Each tool offered a broad framework…

1
What Is Demonstrated Interest And How Does It Impact College Admisssions? 10:29

19d ago10:29

10:29

Demonstrated interest refers to the ways a student indicates interest in a specific school. This includes visiting campuses, reaching out to admissions officers, participating in prospective student events, and even interacting with the school’s online resources. Let’s face it: the college admissions process is notoriously competitive. Over the pas…

1
Mega Listener Mailbag Q&A 57:30

16d ago57:30

57:30

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been collecting your questions, and wow… you did not hold back. We’re answering as many as we can fit in one episode, covering topics like forgiveness deadlines, confusing recertification rules, and loan servicers who seem to speak in riddles. You’ll hear from people on the brink of PSLF forgiveness, parents in the mi…

1
How To Pay For College With A 529 Plan 16:48

21d ago16:48

16:48

Taking money out of a 529 plan is more complicated than putting money into a 529 plan. If you do it incorrectly, you may owe taxes and a 10% tax penalty, plus recapture of state income tax breaks attributable to the distribution. If you're getting reading to take 529 plan distributions to pay for college (or K-12 tuition, student loans, or even a R…

1
How Much Does It Cost To Rush (From Real Bama Rush Numbers) 12:00

22d ago12:00

12:00

As someone who spent her freshman year at the University of Alabama (UA), I know firsthand how costly simply attending two semesters of classes can be there. Add to that the experience of Greek life, and your social circle isn’t the only thing that suddenly expands. Sorority hashtags and content exploded on social media, as universities eased Covid…

1
Early Action vs. Early Decision: What You Need To Know 9:22

25d ago9:22

9:22

There are three main options for college admissions applications: early action, early decision, and regular decision. Early decision applications involve a commitment to enroll if admitted. In contrast, early action is non-binding. Students who are admitted early action are not required to accept the offer of admission. They may accept or reject th…

1
Going Back To School As An Adult: Is It Worth It? 8:06

26d ago8:06

8:06

Economic uncertainty has been known to drive adults back to school to boost their educational credentials. Now, that the pandemic is over but there is still a lot of economic uncertainty, and student loans are restarting, more and more adults are wondering if it makes sense to go back to school. If you're considering going back to school as an adul…

1
Existing Borrowers are Okay. Future Ones I’m Worried About 29:50

23d ago29:50

29:50

After months of student loan chaos, there’s clarity: If you’re already borrowing, you’ll probably be okay, though keep an eye out for some plan changes. But for anyone planning to borrow after July 2026, the picture gets a lot murkier. Higher payments, tighter loan limits, and longer repayment terms could reshape graduate and professional education…

1
What Is The PSLF Buyback Program? 9:49

29d ago9:49

9:49

The PSLF Buyback Program allows you to "buy" missing payments that would have allowed you to qualify for loan forgiveness. To qualify for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness, you must have 120 months of qualifying payments made while employed in a qualifying public service job. Here's what you need to know.…

1
Where To Apply To College - Finding Academic and Financial Fit 14:34

30d ago14:34

14:34

When students prepare to apply for college admissions, they should start to make a list of colleges they want to apply to. When crafting a well-balanced college list, students should apply to a variety of colleges, considering financial fit in addition to academic fit. They should also include at least one financial aid safety school and pick three…

1
Reflections on the SAVE Forbearance Ending 21:57

1M ago21:57

21:57

The SAVE plan’s payment forbearance is supposed to stick around through 2028, but that’s looking unlikely. Here’s why we think the clock’s ticking on SAVE, what the latest lawsuit could mean for the plan’s future, and how new legislation is tightening the rules on forbearance across the board. You’ll find out what this shift means if you’re current…

1
What We Think Comes Next for Borrowers (with Special Guest Stanley Tate) 44:59

1M ago44:59

44:59

Student loan lawyer Stanley Tate joins us to tackle the big question we’re all asking: what’s actually happening with student loans right now? We’re exploring the latest legislative changes, what they mean for your repayment strategy, and why Parent PLUS borrowers are especially freaking out. We talk through everything from the COVID payment chaos …

1
End of the SAVE Forbearance 16:34

2M ago16:34

16:34

If you’ve been riding the SAVE Plan forbearance wave, a big shift is headed your way. The Department of Education announced that the SAVE forbearance will officially end on August 1, 2025. That means interest starts ticking again, and borrowers will be pushed to switch repayment plans. Most will be steered toward the old Income-Based Repayment (IBR…

1
What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Means for You 25:52

2M ago25:52

25:52

Some parts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are pretty rough for borrowers, but believe it or not, it could’ve been way worse — you can thank the Senate parliamentarian for blocking the worst of it. We’ll walk you through what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and what you need to start planning for now. This is your clear, practical guide to u…

1
Senate Parliamentarian Drops a Bombshell Ruling 21:12

2M ago21:12

21:12

“Senate parliamentarian” isn’t exactly a household name, but her latest ruling is huge news for anyone with student debt. Learn what her surprise decision means for the Big Beautiful Bill Act and how it could shape repayment plans and forgiveness programs. You’ll find the specifics of what this means if you’re a Parent PLUS borrower, in dental and …

1
Who Gets Merit Based Scholarships At Private Colleges? 9:42

2M ago9:42

9:42

Wondering which students and families actually get merit-based scholarships and grants at private colleges? We have the data. Parents of college-bound children who are considering high-cost private non-profit colleges often wonder how to qualify for institutional financial aid. These grants and scholarships may or may not really be based on merit, …

1
What Does the Reform Bill Mean for Married Borrowers? 27:56

2M ago27:56

27:56

If you're married, there’s a lot to consider in the latest student loan reform proposals. Discover what the changes being debated in Congress could mean for married borrowers, including the potential loss of “married filing separately” as a repayment strategy and how the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) might affect your monthly payments. If you…

1
Student Loan Forgiveness Due To Disability: What To Know 12:55

2M ago12:55

12:55

When your student loans are discharged due to disability, you may be limited in whether you can work or go to school for a period of time. Otherwise, your student loans may be reinstated. This can be an especially difficult issue to navigate if your loans are discharged while you're attending school, or plan to. And it can happen even if you never …

1
The Senate Student Loan Bill Is Much Worse Than Expected 12:45

2M ago12:45

12:45

The Senate just dropped its version of the student loan reform bill, and let’s just say… it’s not great. In fact, it’s worse than expected, especially if you have six-figure student debt, Parent PLUS loans, or are a future student. Learn what’s at stake, how it could completely reshape repayment options, and who (besides private lenders) might come…

1
Why Lowering AGI Is More Important Than Ever 21:08

3M ago21:08

21:08

If the GOP reform bill moves forward, lowering your adjusted gross income (AGI) won’t just be helpful, it’ll be more important than ever for student loan borrowers. We explore what could change, who’s most at risk, and what steps you can take to protect your paycheck. From maxing out pre-tax retirement contributions and HSAs to leveraging self-empl…

1
Listener Q&A: What Could This New Bill Mean? 40:24

3M ago40:24

40:24

Get real answers to real questions student loan borrowers are asking about PSLF processing delays, confusing buyback calculations, switching repayment plans, and trying to understand how recent legislation might affect their loans. You’ll get the latest updates on what’s happening behind the scenes and what those changes could mean for you. We also…

1
Trade School Loan Forgiveness Programs 7:01

3M ago7:01

7:01

By The College Investor

1
Must-Ask Questions About College Costs: Protecting Your Investment 9:41

3M ago9:41

9:41

Paying for college isn’t just about covering tuition. It’s about understanding what happens when life takes a turn and what protections exist if it does. Each year, families across the country commit thousands of dollars toward college without fully understanding the terms behind the payment. If a student gets sick or has to take a leave during the…

1
Future of Student Loans Now Depends on the Senate 18:35

3M ago18:35

18:35

Student loan reform just cleared the House in what’s officially called the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” If it becomes law, it could overhaul repayment into just two plans: the Old IBR plan and a new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) that scales payments between 1% and 10% of income over 30 years. But nothing is final. The next step is the Senate, wher…

1
Who Would Switch to the “RAP” Plan? 17:40

3M ago17:40

17:40

The Repayment Assistance Plan, aka RAP, is another student loan overhaul, and people have a lot of questions. Learn what this plan actually is, why it matters right now, and the real chances of it becoming law. If you're wondering when or if you could switch to this plan, we've got you covered. The RAP might completely change how student loan repay…

1
Which Payments And Periods Count For PSLF? 8:29

3M ago8:29

8:29

After years of payments, pauses, and paperwork, many public service workers are confused on what payments and time periods may count for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). However, there are also more options to have qualifying periods count - thanks to the PSLF buyback program. If you've been stuck in the SAVE forbearance, served in the milit…

1
Common Dorm Room Disasters That Could Cost You Big 8:24

4M ago8:24

8:24

College move-in day is filled with excitement, but new students often learn quickly that shared living spaces come with unexpected risks. And if you’re not careful, even small accidents can be expensive. From laptop spills to missing laundry, a range of common mishaps can cause financial stress. In partnership with GradGuard, we’re going to highlig…

1
Quick Update On What's Happening With Student Loans 10:31

4M ago10:31

10:31

Robert was on MoneyLife with Chuck Jaffe this week talking about the current status of student loans. Tune in to hear Robert's thoughts on what's going on with student loans today.By The College Investor

1
Scenarios for the Republican Student Loan Bill 26:44

4M ago26:44

26:44

The Republican student loan bill is gaining steam and could seriously impact your repayment strategy. Let me break it down for you: undergrads might actually see some benefits here, but if you've got grad school debt? You might want to sit down for this one. Current borrowers won't get hit as hard as future ones, but painful changes could be on the…

1
How To Legally Reduce Your IDR Payment (And Avoid Fraud) 9:40

4M ago9:40

9:40

Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans provide affordable monthly student loan payments by basing the payments on a portion of the borrower’s discretionary income, as opposed to the amount they owe. Generally, IDR plans will yield lower student loan payments when the borrower’s total student loan debt exceeds their annual income. However, there are wa…