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Paying off $400,000 in student loans — such as from law or medical school — can be a major challenge.
For example, say you’re on a standard 10-year repayment plan with a 6.22% interest rate — the average student loan interest rate for graduate students. In this scenario, your monthly payments on a $400,000 loan would be $4,485, and you’d end up paying $138,217 in interest.
While it can be daunting to face such a large amount of debt, making a plan to tackle that debt is your first step to paying it off.
Here’s how to pay off $400,000 in student loans:
- Refinance your student loans
- Consider using a cosigner when refinancing
- Explore income-driven repayment plans
- Pursue loan forgiveness for federal student loans
- Adopt the debt avalanche or debt snowball method
1. Refinance your student loans
Refinancing your student loans is when you take out a new loan to pay off your old loans — leaving you with just one loan and one payment. Depending on your credit, you might qualify for a lower interest rate through refinancing, which could save you money on interest or even help you pay off your student loans faster.
Or you could opt to extend your repayment term to reduce your monthly payment and lessen the strain on your budget. Just keep in mind that choosing a longer repayment term means you’ll pay more in interest over time.
Here are Credible’s partner lenders that offer refinancing for $400,000 in student loans:
| Lender | Fixed rates from (APR) | Variable rates from (APR) | Loan terms (years) | Loan amounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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.
| 7.0%+1 | 7.29%+1 | 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 | $10,000 to $500,000 (depending on degree and loan type) |
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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.
| 5.48%+3 | 5.28%+3 | 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 | $10,000 to $250,000 |
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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.
| 6.2%+ | N/A | 7, 10, 15 | $10,000 up to the total amount of qualified education debt |
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| Compare personalized rates from multiple lenders without affecting your credit score. 100% free! |
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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 |
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Citizens
With Citizens, you can refinance $10,000 to $750,000 (depending on your degree and loan type) with repayment terms from five to 20 years.
If you already have an account with Citizens, you could get a 0.25% rate discount — plus another 0.25% off your rate if you sign up for autopay.
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.
Lowest fixed rate available from this lender
Lowest variable rate available from this lender
Minimum credit score needed to qualify
Range needed to refinance with this lender
Does refinancing make sense for you?
Compare offers from top refinancing lenders to determine your actual savings.
Pros
- Might be able to refinance up to $750,000
- 0.25% autopay discount
- 0.25% loyalty discount
Cons
- Doesn’t disclose minimum income and credit requirements
- Long cosigner release period (36 months)
- Cosigner release not available on the Education Refinance Loan for Parents
ELFI
Unlike many other lenders, ELFI doesn’t have a maximum loan amount — you just need a minimum of $10,000 to refinance. Repayment terms range from five to 20 years (five to 10 years for parent borrowers).
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.
Lowest fixed rate available from this lender
Lowest variable rate available from this lender
Minimum credit score needed to qualify
Range needed to refinance with this lender
Does refinancing make sense for you?
Compare offers from top refinancing lenders to determine your actual savings.
Pros
- No maximum loan amount
- Up to 12 months of forbearance over the life of the loan
- Variable rate loans capped at 9.95% APR
Cons
- Cosigner release not offered
- 15- and 20-year terms not available to parent borrowers
- Must have graduated to be eligible
MEFA
MEFA is another lender that has no maximum loan amount — you can refinance $10,000 up to the total amount of qualified education debt. Repayment terms range from seven to 15 years.
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.
Lowest fixed rate available from this lender
Lowest variable rate available from this lender
Minimum credit score needed to qualify
Range needed to refinance with this lender
Does refinancing make sense for you?
Compare offers from top refinancing lenders to determine your actual savings.
Pros
- No maximum loan amount
- Competitive rates
- Degree not required
Cons
- 20-year term not available
- Cosigner release not offered
- Not available to borrowers who attended for-profit schools
Learn More:
- Cost to Refinance Student Loans: Fees & Discounts Explained
- Student Loan Refinance Calculator: Should I Refinance?
2. Consider using a cosigner when refinancing
You’ll typically need good to excellent credit to qualify for refinancing — a good credit score is usually considered to be 700 or higher.
If you’re struggling to get approved, consider applying with a cosigner to improve your chances. Even if you don’t need a cosigner to qualify, having one could get you a lower interest rate than you’d get on your own.
Check Out: When Student Loan Refi Is a Good Idea and When to Reconsider
3. Explore income-driven repayment plans
If you have federal student loans, another option to manage a $400,000 balance could be signing up for one of the four income-driven repayment (IDR) plans.
Under one of these plans, your payments are based on your income, and you could have any remaining balance forgiven after 20 to 25 years, depending on the plan.
Here’s how IDR plans compare to a few other federal student loan repayment plan options:
| Repayment plan | Who’s eligible? | Monthly payment | Repayment terms | Eligible for loan forgiveness? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard repayment plan | Any borrower with Direct or FFEL Loans | Amount when payments are spread equally over 10 years (usually $50 minimum) | 10 years | No |
| Graduated repayment plan | Any borrower with Direct or FFEL Loans | Depends on loan amount (payments start low and increase every 2 years) | 10 years | No |
| Extended repayment plan | Any borrower with more than $30,000 in Direct or FFEL Loans | Fixed: Spread evenly over up to 25 years Graduated: Depends on loan amount (start low and increase every 2 years) | Up to 25 years | No |
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | Borrowers with partial financial hardship (no Parent PLUS Loans) | For borrowers who took out loans after July 1, 2014: 10% of discretionary income (never more than 10-year plan) For borrowers who took out loans before July 1, 2014: 15% of discretionary income (never more than 10-year plan) | For borrowers who took out loans after July 1, 2014: 20 years For borrowers who took out loans before July 1, 2014: 25 years | Yes |
| Pay As You Earn (PAYE) |
| 10% of discretionary income (never more than 10-year plan) | 20 years | Yes |
| Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) | Any borrower (no Parent PLUS Loans) | 10% of discretionary income (no cap) | 20 years (25 years if repaying grad school debt) | Yes |
| Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) | Any borrower (Parent PLUS Loans must be consolidated) | 20% of discretionary income (or income-adjusted payment on 12-year plan) | 25 years | Yes |
If you’re wondering how long it’ll take to pay off your student loans, enter your current loan information into the calculator below to find out. Use the slider to see how increasing your payments can change the payoff date.
Enter loan information
If you increase your payments by $ monthly on your $ loan at %, you will pay $ a month and pay off your loan by Jan 2021.
Does refinancing make sense for you?
Compare offers from top refinancing lenders to determine your actual savings.
Checking rates won’t affect your credit score.
Learn More:
4. Pursue loan forgiveness for federal student loans
There are several student loan forgiveness programs available for federal student loans. For example, if you work for a nonprofit or government organization, you might be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) after making qualifying payments for 10 years.
Many loan forgiveness programs require that you work in a certain profession. Some occupations that might qualify for a forgiveness program include:
- Dentists
- Doctors
- Lawyers
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Teachers
Check Out: How to Spot 6 Student Loan Forgiveness Scam Warning Signs
5. Adopt the debt avalanche or debt snowball method
If you have multiple student loans, another option is to use either the debt avalanche or debt snowball method to decide which student loan to pay off first. Here’s how they work:
Debt avalanche method
The debt avalanche method focuses on paying off the loan with the highest interest rate first. To use this method, follow these steps:
- List out all of your outstanding loans.
- Put any extra cash toward the loan with the highest interest rate.
- Continue to make minimum payments on your other loans.
- After the highest-interest loan is paid off, move on to the loan with the next-highest interest rate.
- Repeat until all of your loans are paid off.
If you’re more motivated by small wins, you might want to use the debt snowball method instead.
Debt snowball method
With the debt snowball method, you’ll tackle your smallest loan first. To use this method, follow these steps:
- List out all of your outstanding loans.
- Put any extra cash toward the loan with the smallest balance.
- Continue to make minimum payments on your other loans.
- After the smallest loan is paid off, move on to the next-smallest loan.
- Repeat until all of your loans are paid off.
However, if you have high-interest debt and want to save more money in interest, the debt avalanche method could be a better fit for you.
If you’re wondering how long it’ll take to pay off your student loans, enter your current loan information into the student loan repayment calculator below to find out. Use the slider to see how increasing your payments can change the payoff date.
Other tips for paying off large balances
Here are a few other tips that might come in handy as you work toward paying off your student loans:
- Create a budget and stick to it. Tackling student loan debt is much easier with a budget. To start, make sure you know how much money you’re earning as well as how much your bills and discretionary expenses add up to. Then you can figure out how to allocate any extra funds.
- Build an emergency fund. Although you might want to throw any extra money at your student loans, it’s important to put some of your funds toward savings. This way, you’ll have money to fall back on in case of emergencies. It’s usually recommended to save enough to cover three to six months’ worth of expenses if you can.
- Reduce discretionary spending. See if you can lower your non-essential expenses. For example, maybe you can cancel unused subscriptions or limit how much you go out to eat. This can provide some breathing room in your budget while helping you keep more cash in your pocket.
- Pay extra on your student loans. The more money you can put toward your loans, the faster you can get out of debt — especially since extra payments will go toward your principal balance. This can also save you money on interest charges.
Learn More: Private Student Loan Repayment Options
Frequently asked questions
Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions about paying off student loan debt:
Can I file for bankruptcy to eliminate my student loan debt?
It’s difficult to have your student loans discharged through bankruptcy, but it’s not impossible. To potentially have your loans discharged, you must file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, then file a separate action known as an adversary proceeding.
If the court determines that repaying your loans would cause an undue hardship, your loans might be:
- Fully discharged
- Partially discharged
- Modified (such as lowering your student loan interest rates) to make them easier to repay
How long does it take to pay off $400k student loans?
How long it takes to pay off student loans depends on your repayment plan. For example, most federal student loans are automatically placed on the standard 10-year repayment plan, while private student loans can have terms ranging from five to 20 years depending on the lender.
If you want to change your repayment time, you could:
- Choose a different federal repayment plan, such as an IDR or extended repayment plan
- Consolidate your federal loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan
- Refinance your private loans and opt for a shorter or longer loan term
It’s usually a good idea to choose the shortest term you can afford to save as much as possible on interest.
Are student loans forgiven after 20 years?
If you have federal student loans, they could be forgiven after 20 or 25 years if you sign up for an IDR plan. There are also other federal forgiveness programs with varying times for forgiveness — for example, borrowers who qualify for PSLF will have their loans discharged after 10 years.
Private student loans don’t qualify for forgiveness after any length of time.
Learn More: Debt Relief Programs: Options to Reduce Debt
Do children inherit student debt?
Generally, no. Federal student loans and many private loans are discharged upon the death of the primary borrower.
If a private lender doesn’t provide a death discharge, they’ll likely try to collect from any cosigners, then from the primary borrower’s estate. If your child cosigned your private loan, they could be responsible for it upon your death.
Keep Reading:
- The Federal Student Loan Repayment Calculator — Strengths and Limitations
- Refinancing Consolidated Federal Student Loans: Can You and Should You?
