Adam’s Story: Borrower Education Saves $35,000

Adam L. is a medical student. This past spring his school tapped into T.H.E.’s borrower education resources. As a result, Adam will save more than $35 ,000 on his education costs by implementing a financially savvy repayment strategy.

What education resources helped Adam save $35,000?

Because the financial aid professionals at his medical school promoted T.H.E.’s borrower education resources, Adam and his classmates had access to:

  • One-on-one debt management counseling from our customer service experts
  • Customized repayment worksheets and tailored advice from our Electronic Loan Counselor

How did this education affect his choices?

Choosing to act on the borrower education he received, Adam implemented a savvy repayment strategy now even though he won’t enter repayment for another few years. His plan includes:

  • Making interest-only payments on his lower-interest rate federal loans
  • Making bigger payments on his higher-interest rate private and Grad PLUS loans

What were the financial results of his actions?

By taking these actions, Adam will pay off his higher-interest rate loans more quickly, saving thousands in interest expenses. Once the private loans are paid off, he can dedicate those funds to his lower-rate federal loans. In addition, he’ll be able to pay off all of his loans almost five years ahead of schedule.

As a result, borrower education will save Adam more than $35,000 on the cost of financing his education. As a T.H.E. borrower, he’ll also get an additional monthly payment on each of his loans in the form of the T.H.E. Repayment Bonus —- further increasing the speed with which he pays off his loans. For his balance of $235,616, that’s an extra savings of $51,445, on top of what he’ll save thanks to T.H.E.’s education strategies. Combining education savings with Bonus savings will shave more than $85,000 off the cost of financing over the life of Adam’s loans.

Real-dollar value of borrower education for Adam L.
Adam’s outstanding balance at graduation: $235,616
Action Items as a Result of Borrower Education Borrower Education Savings Borrower Education Savings, plus T.H.E. Bonus
Implemented repayment strategy that lets him pay down higher-rate loans more quickly than the lower-rate loans $35,271 $86,716