Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news and what you need to know now

Listen in as Executive Director Jordan benShea chats with student debt expert and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we’re discussing the latest changes to student loans, including the latest student loan pause extension through August 31, 2022. Tony covers everything from should you file your taxes separately if your married, to how to do a physical exam of your student loans.

*Episode note* As always this is a fast changing landscape and since we recorded this episode additional student loan information has been in the news, check the links below for more information.

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Tony Bartels Tony 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, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• *New info!* As we were recording this podcast new information came out about student loans: https://www.npr.org/2022/04/19/1093310151/student-loans-income-based-repayment
• VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
• Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details -- VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
• VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
• VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
• VIN Foundation Blog post: https://vinfoundation.org/fedloan-servicing-quits/
• FedLoan Servicing: https://myfedloan.org/
• StudentAid.gov: https://studentaid.gov/
• Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
• StudentAid PSLF: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
• New Graduate Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
• Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
• Personalized assistance is available via the special Student Debt Message Board areas. If you do not have an active VIN username and password, you may gain access through the VIN Foundation access application: https://www.vin.com/apputil/project/defaultadv1.aspx?id=9593830
• 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 Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

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