<p>^And likely subject your relatives, friends, etc. to an endless barrage of nasty phone calls! If most/all of that is federal loans, it’s certainly not worth it…first of all, the standard repayment on $40K is under $500/month, and much less if you request extended repayment terms. I can’t imagine the stress, worry, and inability to come back to the US would be remotely worth it. If you wanted to come back in a decade or so the debt would still be there, but it would be much higher and even more difficult to repay.</p>