Student Debt Series: Dr. Tony Bartels on the student loan payment pause extension, and what borrowers 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 news announced today by President Biden extending the pause on federal student loan repayments for an additional 90 days — through May 1, 2022, and what borrowers need to know, and do now.

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:

• White House Statement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/22/statement-by-president-joe-biden-extending-the-pause-on-student-loan-repayment-an-additional-90-days/
• 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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