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Refinancing swaps your student loans for a new private loan at a lower rate, helping some borrowers and hurting others. Pursuing PSLF? Refinancing instantly ends your eligibility. For everyone else, a lower rate may be worth a look.
For a therapist pursuing PSLF, your monthly payment is based on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Learning to manipulate that number is a simple way to "find money" and create financial leverage.
PSLF isn't really a debt strategy. It's a tax strategy in disguise. Pair it with a maxed 401(k) and a PT salary can buy you retirement before 50.
The 2026 rules changed the math on income-driven student loan repayment, but not the way most therapists assume. The conventional "just pay it off" advice gets more interesting once you account for what happens to the cash flow you free up for retirement contributions.
The fastest way to pay off student loans early: refinance to a lower rate, cut your three biggest expenses, and stack income through travel contracts or PRN work. Most rehab professionals can clear a $150,000 balance in 4–6 years.
Physical therapists, OTs, and SLPs typically graduate with $100,000–$180,000 in federal student debt and three realistic repayment options. The right strategy depends almost entirely on where you work and how long you plan to stay there.