"What Now?" Listener Questions Answered

About this episode

The episode addresses pressing listener questions regarding new federal student loan regulations and their impact on repayment options for grad and professional borrowers.

The new federal student loan regulations are about to throw a wrench into grad and professional borrowers’ repayment options, and we’re tackling some of the most pressing questions borrowers are calling in with. We break down why one loan disbursed after July 2026 can flip somebody from a clear forgiveness path to being stuck in a repayment plan that costs you double (or more). You’ll also learn strategies for handling PSLF account issues, navigating income certification if your income drops, and the mental health toll all these changes might take. Key moments: (01:23) Why a single loan disbursed after July can potentially double your total repayment (08:54) Using pay stubs vs. tax returns to certify IDR plan income (15:26) Mental health, financial hopelessness, and why no student loan situation is truly unrecoverable (24:21) Calculating physician debt-to-income ratio for PSLF as a resident vs. attending (28:53) Why federal loan caps will trigger chaos in grad school funding and may force program closures or major tuition shifts Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Follow on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or Amazon Music Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts Subscribe…

People in this episode

Host: Travis Hornsby

Topics covered

• student loans
• repayment options
• forgiveness
• mental health
• income certification
• financial strategies

Keywords

• student loans
• repayment
• forgiveness
• PSLF
• income certification
• mental health
• financial strategies
• grad school funding
• debt-to-income ratio

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PSLF

More episodes of Student Loan Planner

• New Rules, Forgiveness Updates, and PSLF Lawsuit Watch · June 9, 2026 · 27 min
• Changes to Grad Plus Coming This Year in 2026 · June 2, 2026 · 20 min
• Will AI Kill Student Loan Advising? · May 19, 2026 · 21 min
• Predicting the Future of the Tax Bomb · May 12, 2026 · 18 min
• Top Student Loan Issues Borrowers Are Facing Right Now · May 5, 2026 · 53 min
• How Much You Should Borrow for Grad School is Totally Different Now · April 28, 2026 · 23 min