Best Studentloandebt Podcasts (2025)

1
Student Loan IDR Backlog Drops Below 1.1 Million 6:07

Play Pause

3h ago6:07

6:07

For months, income-driven repayment processing has been a source of frustration for student loan borrowers. In August, the Department of Education reported (PDF File) that it processed 305,641 IDR applications. That figure marks one of the best months since courts required public updates earlier this year. The backlog now stands at 1,076,266, down …

1
Education Dept. Accused Of Blocking Student Loan Forgiveness 8:39

1d ago8:39

8:39

The American Federation of Teachers, representing 1.8 million members, has intensified its legal challenge against the Department of Education and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. In an amended complaint filed this week (PDF File), the union seeks class action status on behalf of millions of borrowers it argues are unlawfully being denied access …

1
Behind the Scenes: Live from FinCon 2025 16:21

1d ago16:21

16:21

Join us for a special live recording from FinCon as we pull back the curtain on what’s happening with student loans right now. We're talking about the current state of federal programs, what's working, what's not, and where things might be headed — especially for those of you dealing with big debt loads from professional and graduate programs. If y…

1
How To Use AI For Finding College Scholarships 7:55

2d ago7:55

7:55

For high school seniors looking to pay for college, scholarships and grants can make the difference between affordability and long-term student loan debt. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has opened new ways to streamline the search process. Platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity can help students brainstorm possible scholarships, d…

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Chadwick Boseman Died Without A Will: Why You Need An Estate Plan Now 9:51

3d ago9:51

9:51

By Robert Farrington

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The Essential Estate Planning Documents: What You Need and Why 10:37

4d ago10:37

10:37

We all hope terrible situations will never hurt us or our loved ones. But making practical plans for your eventual death will make your passing easier. That’s true whether you die unexpectedly at a young age or you live to be 140 years old. Here are the six key estate planning documents that most people will eventually need. You might think all you…

1
Dependent vs. Independent Student For Financial Aid 7:31

5d ago7:31

7:31

It can be confusing to understand whether you're a dependent or independent student for FAFSA and financial aid purposes. Given the current cost of higher education, college students need all the help they can get when paying for college. There are a variety of different ways to pay for college, including paying your own way, scholarships, grants, …

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College Scholarship Gotchas: How To Avoid Mistakes When You Apply 16:11

7d ago16:11

16:11

There are many benefits to receiving one or more private scholarships. It eases the financial burden of getting a college degree and minimizes the need for student loans. And it allows you to focus on your studies while at school. But scholarship applicants can face several potential pitfalls along the way. The odds of winning scholarships are ofte…

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Will Some Folks Get Stuck with 30-Year IDR? 20:17

9d ago20:17

20:17

The new 30-year Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) could be the only option for federal student loans after July 2026 — but even current borrowers aren’t safe if they don’t take action. Discover what moves to make to avoid getting stuck with decades of payments. Also, learn about new rules affecting Parent and Grad PLUS loans. If facing 30 years of st…

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Tax Breaks for Tuition and Student Loans 9:37

9d ago9:37

9:37

You've probably heard of the student loan interest deduction. But what you may not know is that this is just one of several tax breaks for tuition and student loans that are baked into the U.S. tax code. There are also federal income tax advantages for saving for college through 529 college savings plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, and t…

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What Happens To your Student Loans When You Die 6:44

10d ago6:44

6:44

Today we're talking about a tough subject: what happens when you die? Specially, what happens to your student loans when you die? Do your student loans die with you (meaning your family is free and clear), or will someone else have to experience the burden of your student loan debt? Are student loans forgiven at death? It's important to know what w…

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The Latest Happenings With Student Loans 13:13

12d ago13:13

13:13

Check out Robert's interview on Money Life with Chuck Jaffe, where he breaks down the latest on student loan repayment plan options.

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Can President Trump Claw Back Student Loan Forgiveness? 13:15

14d ago13:15

13:15

President Trump generally does not support student loan forgiveness and would likely seek an end to some student loan forgiveness programs. But can the President claw back student loan forgiveness that has already been granted? It's sparked a lot of concern in recent weeks, especially as President Biden has continued to propose new student loan for…

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5 Quick Money Making Ideas (That Take Less Than 1 Hour) 8:11

14d ago8:11

8:11

It really is possible to make money in one hour. You've heard of money making ideas like starting a blog or starting a business, but those ideas take time. While they have great long term potential to earn extra money, sometimes you need to earn that extra money fast. And it can be hard to find ideas where you can actually do that. Maybe you have a…

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Will 50% of All Grad Programs Close? 28:49

16d ago28:49

28:49

There’s a controversial and urgent topic we have to talk about: the massive upheaval headed for graduate and professional education financing starting in the fall of 2026. With the recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” federal borrowing for graduate programs will be drastically limited — meaning schools and students are about to face …

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Let’s Talk: Suicide And Student Loan Debt 10:20

16d ago10:20

10:20

The only way I see myself escaping my student loan debt is to kill myself. I want you to read that again: The only way I see myself escaping my student loan debt is to kill myself. Reading that sentence gets me emotional. I can sense the pain. I can feel the despair in the words. It creates a tightness in my chest as I hold back tears thinking abou…

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Understanding Grandparent-Owned 529 Plans 13:36

18d ago13:36

13:36

What is a grandparent-owned 529 college savings plan? How do they work? What do you need to know about them and what changes should you know about? A grandparent-owned 529 plan is a type of 529 college savings plan where the account owner is a grandparent, as opposed to a parent. The grandchild is the beneficiary. Another alternative would be a cus…

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How To Use Employer Tuition Reimbursement To Pay For College 9:10

19d ago9:10

9:10

As the cost of college continues to rise, more students and families are turning to employer tuition reimbursement programs as a way to fund education without debt. These programs, offered by companies ranging from fast-food chains to tech giants, provide employees with financial support for accredited degree programs, professional certifications, …

1
I Asked ChatGPT About Student Loans. Here’s What It Got Wrong. 9:53

20d ago9:53

9:53

Student loan debt is one of the most complex financial products in the United States, shaped by constantly changing federal programs, complicated repayment plans, and rules that differ based on the year you borrowed, income, marital status, and type of employment. In today's world, so many people default to “just ask ChatGPT” for quick answers. But…

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How Families Can Get Early Access To The FAFSA 6:32

21d ago6:32

6:32

After several years of delayed rollouts, the U.S. Department of Education has confirmed that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available on time this fall. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon certified to Congress that the 2026-27 FAFSA will launch by the statutory October 1 deadline, restoring a timeline that families h…

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What Happens To Your Financial Aid If You Drop Out 9:35

22d ago9:35

9:35

If you drop a class or drop out of college, you may have to repay all or part of the financial aid you received. How much depends on the type of financial aid and when you dropped the class or left school. Even though the Federal Pell Grant is a grant that normally does not need to be repaid, you may have to repay all or part of it in certain circu…

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What is the Student Loan Refi Ladder Strategy? 34:28

23d ago34:28

34:28

The student loan refi ladder is a clever strategy that’ll help you tackle your debt without wrecking your cash flow. We haven’t talked about this much in recent years because of student loan payment and interest pauses, but with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act stripping protections from federal student loan borrowers, now is the time to decide betwe…

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

24d 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…

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Is Student Loan Forgiveness Processing Paused? 8:31

25d 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…

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Student Loan Servicer Changes Coming Soon 6:26

26d 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…

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

27d 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…

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

28d 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…

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

29d 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…

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

30d 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

1M 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

1M 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

1M ago11:39

11:39

By The College Investor

1
Best Student Loan Alternatives 9:25

1M 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…

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

1M 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…

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Fidelity Study Reveals Changing Views On Student Debt 6:14

1M 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…

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

1M 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…

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

1M 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…

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Final PSLF Eligibility Restrictions Move Forward For Comment 6:55

1M 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…

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The Secret To What Colleges Want In Students 14:01

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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%…

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

1M 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

1M 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…

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

1M 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…

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Mega Listener Mailbag Q&A 57:30

1M 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…

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

2M 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

2M 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

2M 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…

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

2M 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…

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

2M 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…