How I Paid Off My Student Loans

Share How you Paid off Student Loans

Welcome to our new series about personal student loan repayment. We'll be sharing how people got out of debt, whether it was through loan forgiveness, steady payments, or outside help. Submissions are written by readers, with edits made for clarity and editorial standards.

We're looking for more stories like Megan's. If you'd like to share how you paid off your student loans, email us at [email protected].

How I Paid Off My Student Loans

Megan in St. Paul, Minnesota

Originally from Worthington, MN, Megan attended Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN, where she obtained her bachelor of arts in English. After college, she hunkered down and paid off her student loans quickly. From there she gained experience in public relations and marketing for a pest control company in the Twin Cities metro area. Since having paid off her student loan debt, Megan was able to have the freedom to start Done Right Pest Solutions with some colleagues. Having debt can tie you down, but she has enjoyed the freedom to work from home or wherever. She shares more about how she paid down her debt in her blog post "24 Things I Did to Pay Off My Student Loans Before I Turned 24."

Q. How Much Student Loan Debt Did You Graduate With?

I graduated with $35,000 in student loan debt, but I paid off about $3,000 before I graduated (total debt of about $38,000).

Q. How Long Did It Take To Pay Off Your Student Loans?

It took me 18 months to pay off my student loans.

Q. How Did You Pay Off Your Student Loans?

I had a part-time job at Hy-Vee grocery store and searched for a job in my field (which was broad) for about 3-6 months. After countless interviews and no offers (which was heartbreaking and difficult), I got an additional part-time job at a restaurant. Within about 6-9 months, I got the option to become full-time at the grocery store. I took it and kept the restaurant job, working 14-16 hour days, 5-6 days per week. I became exhausted, but I was focused on my goal to pay off my student loans. I only made between $10 and $11 per hour.

After paying off my loans, I quit my full-time job at Hy-Vee and just worked at the restaurant, and I freelanced for some magazines, newspapers, and individuals. I then found a job in my field and have remained in that role.

I didn't really have any expectations of going to college by family, but my high school had expectations of me attending college. My father has his bachelor's in accounting, I think, and my mom either had her AA or just had some college credits.

I believe I had a mix of federal and private loans. I did not have any loans forgiven. I didn't need to take advantage of the federal student loan forbearance program in 2020-2021. I did not have help paying off my loans.