How to Pay Off $30,000 in Student Loans

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If you racked up $30,000 in student loan debt, you’re right in line with typical numbers: the average student loan balance per borrower is $33,654. Compared to others who have six-figures worth of debt, that loan balance isn’t too bad. However, your student loans can still be a significant burden.

Here’s how to pay off $30,000 in student loans:

Make extra payments
Refinance your debt
Sign up for an income-driven repayment plan
Pursue loan forgiveness

1. Make extra payments

If at all possible, try making extra payments toward your student loan debt. To get started, use this chart to estimate what your minimum payment would be.

Loan balance	Monthly payment	Total repaid
$15,000	$156	$18,681
$20,000	$208	$24,908
$25,000	$259	$31,135
$30,000	$311	$37,362
$35,000	$363	$43,589
Numbers are based on a 10-year repayment term and a 4.53% interest rate.

Making additional payments can help decrease the interest that accrues, so you’ll save money over time. If you’re short on cash, you don’t have to come up with huge sums to make a difference. Small amounts applied to your loan balance consistently can pay off over time.

For example, if you had $35,000 in student loans, your monthly payment would be $363. If you upped your payment by just $20 per month — paying $383 toward your loans — you’d pay $42,999 over the length of your loan. Paying a little extra each month would help you save nearly $600, and you’d pay off your loan over a month earlier.

Use the student loan repayment calculator to find out how making extra payments affects the total you’ll pay.

Estimate how long it’ll take to pay off your student loan debt using the calculator below. You can also use the slider to see how increasing your payments can change the payoff date.

Enter loan information

Loan balance?Enter the remaining balance of your loans$

2. Refinance your debt

If you want to pay off your student loans as aggressively as possible, consider refinancing your debt. With this option, you take out a loan from a student loan refinance lender and use it pay off your existing debt.

If you have good credit, you could qualify for a lower interest rate. With a lower rate, more of your monthly payment goes toward the principal instead of the interest that accrues, so you may save money and pay off your debt sooner.

For example, if you had $30,000 in student loans at 7% interest and a 10-year loan term, your monthly payment would be $348. Over the life of your loan, you’d repay a total of $41,799; interest charges would cause your balance to grow by over $11,000.

But let’s say you refinanced your loans and qualified for a 10-year loan at 5% interest. Your monthly payment would drop to $318, but you’d repay just $38,184 during your loan term. Taking the time to submit an application for student loan refinancing would allow you to save over $3,600.

Credible allows you to compare rates from all of the student loan refinancing lenders below by filling out a single form. Comparing rates is completely free and doesn’t affect your credit score.

Lender	Fixed rates from (APR)	Variable rates from (APR)	Min. loan amount
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	4.75%+	5.32%+	$10,000
Fixed APR: 4.75%+ Variable APR: 5.32%+ Min. credit score: 720 Loan amount: $10,000 to $400,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 Repayment options: Military deferment, forbearance Fees: Late fee Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: Must have a credit score of at least 720, a minimum income of $60,000, and must be a resident of Texas Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: 720 Cosigner release: No Loan servicer: Firstmark Services Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: $100,000 - $149,000 Max. Graduate Loan Balance: $200,000 - $400,000 Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: Does not disclose
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	6.49%+¹	7.02%+¹	$10,000 (depending on degree type)
Fixed APR: 6.49%+¹ Variable APR: 7.02%+¹ Min. credit score: Does not disclose Loan amount: $10,000 to $750,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 Repayment options: Immediate repayment, academic deferment, military deferment, forbearance, loans discharged upon death or disability Fees: Late fee Discounts: Autopay, loyalty Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and have at least $10,000 in student loans Customer service: Email, phone, chat Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: After 24 to 36 months Loan servicer: Firstmark Services Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: $100,000 to $149,000 Max. Graduate Loan Balance: Less than $150,000 Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: Yes
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	6.99%+²	6.99%+²	$5,000 (depending on degree type)
Fixed APR: 6.99%+² Variable APR: 6.99%+² Min. credit score: Does not disclose Loan amount: $5,000 to $300,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 7, 10, 12, 15 Repayment options: Military deferment, forbearance, loans discharged upon death or disability Fees: Late fee Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: All states except for ME Customer service: Email, phone, chat Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: After 24 to 36 months Loan servicer: College Ave Servicing LLC Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: $100,000 to $149,000 Max. Graduate Loan Balance: Less than $300,000 Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: Yes
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	6.0%+⁵	8.04%+⁵	$1,000
Fixed APR: 6.0%+⁵ Variable APR: 8.04%+⁵ Min. credit score: 700 Loan amount: $7,500 to $200,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 10, 15, 20 Repayment options: Immediate repayment, academic deferment, forbearance, loans discharged upon death or disability Fees: None Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and submit two personal references Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: After 24 months Loan servicer: Firstmark Services Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: $150,000 to $249,000 Max. Graduate Loan Balance: $150,000 to $199,000 Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing : Yes
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	5.48%+³	5.28%+³	$10,000
Fixed APR: 5.48%+³ Variable APR: 5.28%+³ Min. credit score: 680 Loan amount: $10,000 to $250,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 Repayment options: Forbearance Fees: None Discounts: None Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have at least $15,000 in student loan debt, and have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an approved school Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: No Loan servicer: Mohela Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: $250,000 Max. Graduate Loan Balance: $250,000 Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: Yes
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	5.85%+⁴	8.51%+⁴	$5,000
Fixed APR: 5.85%+⁴ Variable APR: 8.51%+⁴ Min. credit score: 670 Loan amount: $5,000 to $250,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 10, 15, 20 Repayment options: Academic deferment, military deferment, forbearance Fees: Late fee, returned payment fee Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: Must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident Customer service: Email, phone, chat Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: Yes Max undergraduate loan balance: $250,000 Max graduate loan balance: $250,000 Offers Parent PLUS refinancing: Yes
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	6.94%+ ⁷	N/A	$5,000
Fixed APR: 6.94%+ ⁷ Variable APR: N/A Min. credit score: 670 Loan amount: Up to $300,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 Time to fund: Usually one business day Repayment options: Academic deferral, military deferral, forbearance, death/disability discharge Fees: None Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: Available in all 50 states Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: After 24 months Max. undergraduate loan balance: $300,000 Max. graduate balance: $300,000 Offers Parent PLUS loans: Yes Min. income: None
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	5.49%+	5.52%+	$5,000
Fixed APR: 5.49%+ Variable APR: 5.52%+ Min. credit score: 700 Loan amount: $5,000 to $300,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 7, 10, 15 Max. undergraduate Loan Balance: $125,000 Time to Fund: 10 to 30 days Repayment options: Immediate repayment, forbearance Fees: Late fee Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and have already graduated with at least an associate degree from an eligible institution Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: After 12 months Loan servicer: LendKey Technologies Inc. Max. graduate Loan Balance: $175,000 Credible Review: LendKey Student Loans review Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: No
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	6.2%+	N/A	$10,000
Fixed APR: 6.2%+ Variable APR: N/A Min. credit score: 670 Loan amount: $10,000 up to the total amount Loan terms (years): 7, 10, 15 Repayment options: Military deferment, loans discharged upon death or disability Fees: None Discounts: None Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and have at least $10,000 in student loans Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: Yes Cosigner release: No Loan servicer: AES Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: No maximum Max. Gradaute Loan Balance: No maximum Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: Yes
Credible Rating Credible lender ratings are evaluated by our editorial team with the help of our loan operations team. The rating criteria for lenders encompass 78 data points spanning interest rates, loan terms, eligibility requirement transparency, repayment options, fees, discounts, customer service, cosigner options, and more. Read our full methodology. View details	6.34%+	N/A	$7,500 (depending on degree type)
Fixed APR: 6.34%+ Variable APR: N/A Min. credit score: 680 Loan amount: $7,500 to $250,000 Loan terms (years): 5, 10, 15 Repayment options: Academic deferment, military deferment, forbearance, loans discharged upon death or disability Fees: None Discounts: Autopay Eligibility: Available in all 50 states; must also have at least $7,500 in student loans and a minimum income of $40,000 Customer service: Email, phone Soft credit check: Does not disclose Cosigner release: No Loan servicer: Rhode Island Student Loan Authority Max. Undergraduate Loan Balance: $150,000 - $249,000 Max. Graduate Loan Balance: $200,000 - $249,000 Offers Parent PLUS Refinancing: Yes
Ready to see how much you can save?Get Rates
All APRs reflect autopay and loyalty discounts where available \| ¹Citizens Disclosures \| 2College Ave Disclosures \| 5EDvestinU Disclosures \| ³ ELFI Disclosures \| 4INvestEd Disclosures \| 7ISL Education Lending Disclosures \| 8Nelnet Bank Disclosures

Find out your loan score

If you’re wondering how competitive your student loan is, the loan score tool below can help. Just enter your APR, credit score, monthly payment, and remaining balance (estimates are fine) to see how your loan stacks up.

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3. Sign up for an income-driven repayment plan

If your student loan balance exceeds your income, or if you simply can’t afford your monthly payments, consider applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. The Department of Education offers four different plans:

Income-Based Repayment
Income-Contingent Repayment
Pay As You Earn
Repay As You Earn

With these plans, the loan servicer extends your repayment term from 10 years to 20 or 25 years. The servicer will also set your monthly payment at a percentage of your discretionary income. Some people qualify for payments as low as $5. An IDR plan is a great way to reduce your monthly payments so you have more breathing room in your budget.

You can apply for an IDR plan online.

4. Pursue loan forgiveness

If you have $30,000 in student loans, you may have chosen a career as a teacher or in public service. If that’s the case, you may be eligible for loan forgiveness through one of two programs:

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

With Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), you can qualify for loan forgiveness if you work for a non-profit organization or government agency while making payments on your loans. If you work for a qualifying employer for 10 years and make 120 monthly payments, the government will forgive your remaining loan balance, tax-free.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness

If you teach full-time for at least five consecutive years, you can get up to $17,500 of your loans forgiven through Teacher Loan Forgiveness.

To be eligible you must:

Have federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans
Have been employed as a full-time teacher for five full and consecutive years
Teach at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that works with low-income students
Have taken out the loans before you finished the required years of teaching

To apply for Teacher Loan Forgiveness, fill out the Teacher Loan Forgiveness application and send it to your loan servicer.

Paying off your student loans

Now that you know how to pay off $30,000 in student loans, you can come up with an action plan that works for you.

If you decide to refinance your education debt to accelerate your repayment, check out the best student loan refinance companies.

Find out if refinancing is right for you

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About the author

Kat Tretina

Kat Tretina is a freelance writer who covers everything from student loans to personal loans to mortgages. Her work has appeared in publications like the Huffington Post, Money Magazine, MarketWatch, Business Insider, and more.

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How to Pay Off $30,000 in Student Loans | Credible (2024)