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

Listen in as Executive Director Jordan benShea chats with student debt expert and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels and the newest student debt team member Dr. Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series.

In this episode we’re discussing the latest news about student loan forgiveness from the Department of Education. Is this a time machine for loan forgiveness? What should borrowers know now and if colleagues have been making payments can they get a refund? Find out what you need to do if you federally held loans versus commercially held loans and where to go for updates.

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

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.

Dr. Rebecca Mears

Rebecca Mears, DVM grew up in Delaware before moving to Lexington, KY, where she completed her BS at University of Kentucky. She is a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in vet school, she served as the National Business Certificate Director for the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) and as a board member for Vets for Pets and People. During this time she took an active role in wellbeing awareness and access within the veterinary community. Rebecca then worked as an equine general practitioner and has been an active AAEP member. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found hiking, baking, and hosting impromptu dance parties. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do so as a member of the VIN Foundation student debt team and Rising Leaders Committee lead.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• Department of Education press release: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-announces-actions-fix-longstanding-failures-student-loan-programs
• StudentAid.gov https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
• 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 Grad Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/playbook
• New Grad Student Loan Playbook webinar: https://VIN.zoom.us/webinar/register/4016518582800/WN_panblGA3RlKA8yf3wCVOAA
• 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/
• Personalized student loan assistance: https://vinfoundation.org/personalized-veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/
• 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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