I haven’t even finished my master’s degree and already have $200K in student loans. I am ‘barely getting by’ making $35K a year and living with my ex-boyfriend. How can I tackle this debt?

Question: I person implicit $200,000 successful pupil indebtedness debts, astir of it lent by the national government, but a period earlier finishing my master’s successful nationalist health, I had to temporarily retreat owed to immoderate wellness issues. My payments are paused close now, but I don’t cognize what I’m going to bash erstwhile I person to commencement paying backmost the debt. Currently, I americium moving arsenic a therapist for an online counseling supplier and making astir $35,000 a year. I unrecorded successful Florida, with my ex-boyfriend, who struggles to find work. I cognize that I should decorativeness my master’s program, but I’m truthful sick of being successful school, and I’m already hardly getting by. I’ve talked to my lender astir income driven repayment plans. They projected that to start, I could wage backmost $800 a month. My rent is $1,250 a month. How americium I expected to live? I person to find a mode to wage backmost the $200,000.

Answer: At the outset, paying backmost $200,000 successful pupil indebtedness indebtedness successful a assemblage that pays a median wage of nether $50,000, seems similar an intolerable feat. You’re already talking to the lender astir an income-driven repayment plan, which is smart, and adjacent still, it feels insurmountable. But determination are ways you tin tackle this: We asked professionals what options you, and others successful a akin situation, mightiness privation to see erstwhile repaying students loans, from indebtedness forgiveness, to income-based repayment plans, and more.

Struggling to get retired of pupil indebtedness oregon different debt? Write chill@marketwatch.com.

In your case, 1 enactment to see is whether you suffice for pupil indebtedness forgiveness, says pupil indebtedness adept Mark Kantrowitz, the writer of aggregate books including “Who Graduates from College? Who Doesn’t?.” Many full-time authorities and nonprofit jobs whitethorn suffice for indebtedness forgiveness, and immoderate healthcare professions tin suffice excessively (see a database of professions with indebtedness forgiveness here). “After 10 years worthy of payments successful an income-driven repayment program portion moving full-time successful a qualifying nationalist work job, the remaining indebtedness volition beryllium forgiven, tax-free,” says Kantrowitz. Consider applying for specified jobs portion you decorativeness your masters degree.

Kantrowitz besides notes that finishing your grade volition marque you statistically much apt to wage it back. “This past spot of the marathon is the astir grueling,” says Anna Helhoski, the pupil indebtedness adept astatine NerdWallet. “But finishing the grade is what makes taking retired each of the indebtedness worthy it.” And erstwhile you do, you’re going to privation to look for enactment that pays good (and/or measurement jobs with indebtedness forgiveness), and see different ways you tin boost your income truthful you tin tackle your debt.

At this point, you whitethorn beryllium thinking: Ugh, can’t I conscionable discharge my debts successful bankruptcy (the answer: it’s possible, but precise hard to do), and what happens if I default connected the loans? If you bash default, past the full past owed equilibrium of your indebtedness volition go instantly due, and your wages whitethorn beryllium garnished, among different punishments. While refinancing mightiness beryllium an enactment for immoderate arsenic rates are precise debased close present — see the lowest rates you tin suffice for here — successful your case, you apt privation to enactment connected the income-based repayment program (refinancing national pupil loans tin portion distant these kinds of repayment plans). For the loans you person that are backstage pupil loans, refinancing whitethorn marque sense. This guide volition assistance you fig retired if refinancing is close for you.

So the champion enactment mightiness beryllium to the bullet, decorativeness those last classes, graduate, and past find a dependable occupation moving a well-paying occupation wherever you tin get astatine slightest portion of your loans forgiven. There mightiness not beryllium immoderate fairy godmother who pays disconnected your indebtedness entirely, but the aboriginal is not wholly bleak.

*Letters edited for clarity and brevity.