Student loans can add up quickly. By the time you graduate not only do you have the stress of finding a great job, you also have the added stress of paying off those loans. It can take some creative ideas and efforts to help get them paid off.

Volunteer

You might be surprised to learn that you can earn credit towards your student debt by volunteering for approved organizations. Volunteer at AmeriCorps, Teach for America, or the Peace Corps, or aiding poor people and residents of under-served communities and you may have your student loans forgiven or partially forgiven.

Depending on your area of study, some professionals can also qualify to have their student loans forgiven. You may be able to have all or part of your student loans taken care of if you are a:

* Teacher
* Police officer
* Lawyer
* Social worker
* Nurse
* Doctor
* Healthcare worker

Reward Programs

You’ve undoubtedly heard of the credit card reward programs. For example, you spend 1000 dollars on your Visa and you earn 1000 airline miles. You can join reward programs that actually let you earn cash for extra college loan repayments. For example, SmarterBucks is a free reward program that is offered by Simple Tuition.

You use it when you shop online using the SmarterBucks marketplace. You can earn discounts and 10% cash back for student loan repayments. When your monthly rewards balance equals $15 or more, they’ll automatically make a payment on any loan you’ve designated. You can also ask friends and family to join the program and gift their rewards to your student loans.

Ask Your Employer for Help

You might also be surprised to learn that many employers will pay off your student loans. Of course, you’ll need to make them a promise as well. You may need to sign an employment contract agreeing to work for the company for a specified period of time. You may also need to make some salary concessions in exchange for this loan repayment. However, it can be a fantastic way to help take that financial burden away from your monthly expenses.

Paying off student loans isn’t always easy. However, when you look outside of the box for repayment solutions, your efforts can pay off. Of course cutting back on expenses also helps make payments easier to manage. Downsize your home or apartment, sell your car and use public transportation, and get rid of expensive monthly cellular contracts. With a little creativity and effort you can pay off those loans.