Whether you’re making your first student loan payments or reassessing your financial goals, you may be asking how to decide which student debt with different interest rates to pay off first.

You’ll probably want to start with private Student loans, which often have the highest interest rates. After that, you might examine additional considerations, such as interest rates.

1. Payoff your private student loans first

As previously stated, private student debts should most likely take precedence over federal loans. You’re likely to pay higher interest on private debt, and if you run into financial difficulties, your private loans may provide fewer possibilities than your government loans.

2. Payoff your Federal student loans

If you took out a federal student loan on or after July 1, 2010, you most likely have a Direct Loan.

Federal Student Loans taken out before July 2010 might be either a Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or a Perkins loan. The government no longer issues these loans and has replaced them with the Direct Loan program, although you may still be paying on them, depending on when you borrowed.

In general, federal loans provide better borrower protections and cheaper interest rates than private student loans (regardless of what your federal loan is called). Because of these benefits, you should prioritize paying off your private loans first.

3. Search for interest rate discounts

Even while most student loans have fixed interest rates, setting up automated payments may allow you to save money. This advice applies to both federal and private student loans. Many lenders use autopay to lessen the risk that you will miss payments, which is then passed on to you in the form of a lower interest rate.

Many loan servicers provide interest rate reductions while your autopay plan is active. A discount of 0.25% is typical, although certain private student loans may provide up to 0.50%.

4. Pay off the capitalized interest

Unless your loans are federally subsidized, interest will accrue while you are in school, during the grace period, and during times of postponement and forbearance. When repayment begins, the interest capitalizes, so your debt grows and you pay interest on a higher amount.

To avoid capitalization, consider making monthly interest payments as they accrue. Alternatively, make a lump-sum interest payment before your grace period or postponement expires. That won’t directly speed up the payment process, but it will result in a lesser balance to clear.

5. pay off your high-interest student loans

The debt avalanche approach is a popular debt repayment plan in which you focus on the loan with the highest interest rate first, regardless of its balance. This could result in significant savings because you will pay less interest over time.

While effective, the debt avalanche strategy may not be suitable for everyone. If your highest-interest loan also has the greatest balance, you may lose motivation because you will be paying off the same debt for years.

6. Pay off the smallest student loan first

In contrast to the debt avalanche, the debt snowball strategy ignores interest rates and instead prioritizes loans with the lowest sums. Once you have paid down your smallest student debt, you will go on to the next smallest, and so on.

The concept behind the debt snowball is momentum. The “quick wins” associated with totally paying off your lesser debts can push you to stay on pace with payments.

7. Pay off one refinanced student loan

If you have more than one private student loan, you might consider refinancing.

Student loan refinancing allows you to consolidate multiple debts into one. This could be a smart choice if you’re trying to keep up with several student loan bills or if your credit has improved since you took out your loans (you might now qualify for a reduced interest rate).

Although it is feasible to refinance federal student loans into private loans, we do not typically advocate it. Because moving to a private refinancing loan would result in the loss of federal protections, you should only consider this option if you are nearing the end of your repayment period and can save money on interest.

Instead of refinancing, federal debtors may wish to consider student loan consolidation. Consolidation is comparable to refinancing; you combine multiple federal loans into a single federal consolidation loan. However, because your loan will stay federal, you’ll get to preserve your federal borrower benefits.

8. Limit your debt by working part-time in college

Getting part-time work while in college is one strategy to keep college debt under control because you may utilize your earnings to lower how much you borrow in the first place, making your repayment plan much easier. You can earn up to $7,600 during the 2023-2024 academic year without jeopardizing your eligibility for need-based financial aid.

9. Make additional payments toward the principle

There are no penalties for repaying student loans early or paying more than the minimum. However, there is one exception to prepayment: student loan servicers, who collect your bill, may utilize your extra payment to advance your due date by applying it to the following month’s payment.

Changing the due date of your student loans will not help you pay them off faster. This is because your additional payment will be applied first to any late fees, followed by accrued interest, before reaching your principal balance. Instead, instruct your servicer — either online, by phone, or by mail — to apply overpayments to your principal balance and keep the next month’s due date as scheduled.

You can make numerous payments throughout the month or make a single student loan payment on the due date. Both strategies can help you save a lot of money.

For example, suppose you owe $10,000 at a 4.5% interest rate. By paying an extra $100 every month on a conventional 10-year repayment plan, you’d be debt-free around five and a half years ahead of schedule.

10. Use the ‘found’ money

If you receive a raise, a student loan refinance bonus, or another financial windfall, attempt to put at least some of it toward your loans.

You can also check with your employer. Some employers pay off student loans as an employee benefit. Find out if your workplace has an employer student debt repayment program and how to enroll.

Start a side hustle to boost your income and pay off your student loans faster. Sell clothing, unused gift cards, or photos; rent out a spare room, parking spot, or car; or use your abilities to freelance or consult on the side.

11. Stick with the normal repayment plan

Unless you specify otherwise, the government automatically sets a 10-year repayment period for federal student loans. If you are unable to make extra payments, the quickest approach to pay off federal loans is to stick with the usual repayment schedule.

Federal loans provide income-driven repayment programs, which can reduce your monthly payment while simultaneously extending the due period to 20 or 25 years. You can also consolidate student loans, extending repayment to a maximum of 30 years, depending on your debt.

If you can avoid these options and stick to the usual plan, you will be on your way to debt freedom much faster.

12. Make payments biweekly

A bi-weekly payment means paying half of your student loan amount every two weeks rather than making a single full monthly payment.

You will wind up making an extra payment each year, reducing your repayment schedule and interest rates. Use a biweekly student loan payment calculator to figure out how much time and money you can save.

13. Enroll in automatic payment

Signing up for autopay is another strategy to minimize your student loan’s interest rate and direct more of your money toward your principal balance.

If you allow federal student loan servicers to take payments from your bank account automatically, you can save a quarter-point on your interest rate. Many private lenders also provide auto-pay deductions.

The savings from this discount are likely to be minor — reducing the interest rate on a $10,000 loan from 4.5% to 4.25% would save you approximately $144 throughout a 10-year repayment plan. However, when combined with some of the other tactics mentioned above, it can help you pay off your student loans quickly.

Contact your service provider to enroll or find out if an autopay discount is available.

14. Pay more than your minimum payment

If at all possible, put some extra money toward your monthly payment, even if it’s a modest amount. People who put in a little extra may become more driven to increase the extra amount over time.

This graph depicts how much faster you could pay off your student debts with an extra $50, $100, or $200 each month.

17. Ask your employer for repayment aid

Many firms have begun to provide student loan repayment aid or tuition reimbursement. Some firms, such as Starbucks and Walmart, even provide free college tuition for employees who enroll in degree programs inside a specific network of courses and schools.

Employers can contribute up to $5,250 per year toward an employee’s college tuition or student debt repayment aid until 2025. This benefit is not taxable income for the employee, which is a significant advantage for those pursuing higher education while continuing to work.

Employers can also deduct the expense, ensuring that everyone benefits. Check your employee manual or contact your HR department to find out if your firm offers tuition help or loan repayment options.

18. Plan a budget

Budgets, a common piece of personal finance advice, are simply a spending plan that allocates your money to where it is most needed. If you want to pay off your student loans faster, you may wish to reduce your discretionary expenditures (e.g., entertainment, travel, dining out) and allocate more funds to debt reduction.

Even if you don’t like the idea of a budget, keep in mind that it can be flexible and tailored to your specific financial goals because it is not fixed.

Advantages and disadvantages of paying off student loans early

Advantages

• Achieve other financial goals sooner. Paying off your college loans fast allows you to focus more on retirement, property, and savings.
• Improve your debt-to-income ratio. Getting rid of a loan reduces your debt-to-income ratio, making it easier to qualify for other types of financing, such as a mortgage or credit card.
• Pay lower interest throughout the loan. The shorter time you spend repaying your loans, the less interest you’ll pay. Paying off your loans early can save you hundreds of dollars in total.

disadvantages

• You could lose your eligibility for loan forgiveness. If you’re pursuing debt forgiveness through an income-driven repayment plan or Public Service Debt Forgiveness, making additional payments or paying off your loan in full will diminish the amount forgiven.
• You may miss out on stock market gains. Paying extra on your student loans rather than investing for retirement and other long-term goals may result in missed benefits. In some cases, investing may allow you to gain more money than you would save on interest by repaying debts early. However, there are hazards associated with investing.
• Draws attention away from other types of debt. Paying off college loans early may not be worthwhile if you also have high-interest bills. For example, if you have a credit card bill with a 16 percent interest rate, it is more logical to make extra payments to that account rather than a student loan with a 5 percent interest rate.

They advised on how to pay off school debt faster

‘An extra $5 each month can make a tremendous impact.’ Paying a little more than you owe on your student loan each month can reduce your total payment and shorten your repayment timeline, according to Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit.

“Even an extra $5 per month can make a big difference,” Mayotte explained. (Be careful to instruct your servicer to allocate the additional funds to your principal rather than future interest and payments.)

Higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz used an example to demonstrate the effects of putting more money toward your student debt each month.

Should you repay your student loans early?

There is no single answer to whether you should pay off your student loans early; what is best for you depends not only on your student debt but also on your overall financial situation. If you have a meager interest rate on your student loans, it may be worthwhile to address other, higher-interest debt or even invest your money where it might produce a larger return.

On the other hand, it may be preferable for some people to repay their student loans since the debt burden is impeding their financial growth or other aspirations such as establishing a family, purchasing a home, or investing in the stock market.

Earning money rather than paying interest is preferable, and decreasing student loan debt is an excellent place to begin, especially if you have private student loan debt, which is typically more expensive and has fewer borrower protections. However, this is up to the individual and how paying off student loans fits into their long-term financial plan.

How can I find out what my student loan balance is?

You can check your federal student loan balance by logging in to the Federal Student Aid website using your FSA ID. You can find information on your loan servicers as well as how much you owe. If you need to know how much you owe on your private student loans, contact your lender or check your credit report.

What Is the Best Way to Pay Student Loans?

Paying more than the minimum payment on your student loans may be the smartest (and quickest) method to pay them off. As you reduce your debt’s main balance, the amount of interest you’ll owe during the loan’s duration drops.

Is there a drawback to paying off student loans early?

There may be a disadvantage to paying off your student debts early. Although student loans charge interest, the rate is meager when compared to consumer credit cards. If you prioritize paying your student loan before paying off higher-interest debt, you may end up paying more in the long term. Eliminating your school debts will also limit the variety of your credit portfolio. Your credit score may drop in the months following, but it will swiftly recover as long as you continue to make other debt payments on schedule.

Can You Negotiate a Student Loan Payoff?

In Conclusion

Nowadays, paying for college nearly invariably entails taking out student loans. And the debt can linger over borrowers for years after they graduate from college.

Climbing out of debt is a challenging task that can discourage even the most determined and financially prudent among us. However, the result can be an exhilarating sense of financial freedom, making the difficult journey worthwhile. If you want to pay off your school loans quickly,

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