Paying off massive debt -how do I interpret the federal repayment calculator?

Security clearances don’t care about student loan debt, as long as you’re current on all your payments.

Actually, it’s even BEFORE you’re hired that your indebtedness may come up. I believe Relative was asked about it in his interviews and his lack of indebtedness was one of the reasons he was one of the top candidates for the job openings.

High debt IS something considered by employers. One of my employees (our state judiciary)?required part-time judges to produce a free credit report every year as a condition of continued employment. One judge balked and her position was terminated.

@HImom

If your post was directed at me, I was discussing security clearances, not all jobs.

No, I wasn’t addressing you specifically, I was addressing the OP as to implications that large debt could have on jobs and applications.

Several govt jobs I’m aware of, you have to provide extensive financial disclosure about your assets as well.

I don’t have much knowledge about the private sector and was never asked for my credit report by any private sector employers.

@CourtneyThurston said: "If you have bada** skills, you will end up in the right spot in life no matter what. I don’t think there is much sense in paying so much money–that you don’t have–for a degree in THE LEAST prestige-dependent field ever (engineering). I make the same money as everybody else: they’ll graduate with a fancy name degree and I won’t. And it has NEVER mattered. "

Well, I graduated with the fancy name degree, and it doesn’t matter.

@clightfield24: My impression from your OP is that you have not yet gone to university and taken on the massive debt, and you are wondering whether you should. Is this correct? If so, then you are very wise to think about this before you take on the debt. Also, if this is true, I think that the old folks such as me on this thread are pretty much in agreement: Avoid the debt. There should be a very good option that allows you to minimize or eliminate debt.

OP has plugged something in wrong, I suspect, and not looked at tbe full implications over 20 years.