Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears on the One Big Beautiful Bill impact on student loans

Listen in with student debt experts and Board Member Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series covering the One Big Beautiful Bill impact on student loans. In this episode we have seven major topics we’re addressing:

1. SAVE forbearance zero-interest ending
2. Updates for current veterinary students those starting and returning to vet school
3. Pre-veterinary students applying for 2026/2027 year
4. 2025 veterinary graduates whose grace period is ending
5. RAP (Repayment Assistance Program)
6. Phase out of existing programs
7. Where things stand with PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness)

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

GUEST BIOS:

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, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Dr. Rebecca Mears

Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, and a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca started her career as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member, currently serving as a member of the AAEP DEI Committee. Her interest in student debt education began with keeping her own education costs lower and grew from there. This was supported by her involvement in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), which she now gives back to as a National Advisor. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found obsessing over plants 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.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details -- VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans

Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim

VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt

VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/

VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/

VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give

Vet School Bound Future Veterinary Student Loan Changes: https://vetschoolbound.org/future-veterinary-student-loan-changes/

VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts:

• Changes to federal student loans come into focus: https://vinfoundation.org/changes-federal-student-loans-come-into-focus/
• Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loan-repayment-trying-to-leave-the-save-forbearance-choose-paye/
• Student Loans in SAVE Plan Will Start Accruing Interest August 1st: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loans-in-save-plan-will-start-accruing-interest-august-1st/
• Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated: https://vinfoundation.org/application-for-income-driven-repayment-plans-reactivated/

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/

Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857

Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/

One-time Forgiveness Count Adjustment https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment

Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60

Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/

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, and LinkedIn.

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