Loans, Loan Repayment, Public Interest work and FRUSTRATION!

Hello,
As I have stated before, I have started working in the field of public interest immigration law. Being prudent, my next thought was that I should look into loan repayment assistance because that was heavily advertised in my law school and we were all encouraged to do public interest work. Bad news followed!

I missed the mark for qualifying for loan repayment assistance at my school because after making all the payments while I was unemployed I went just below the qualifying loan amount. So I was making them pay too little! Then I thought, maybe there are other programs that will help me out. I found out that federal perkins loan can be forgiven if it is not consolidated. ONLY IF it is NOT Consolidated! Well, I consolidated mine!!! So, No assistance for me because I was being too prudent and forcing myself to make loan repayments while I was unemployed, and because I consolidated my federal perkins loan.

I am very frustrated right now. I figure, if all the doors are closed, I may need to find a window, but I can't right now and it seems as if I just have to suck it up and pay off my loan little by little, unless our new President does something about it. Unfortunately, realistically speaking, that may also mean that I will not do public interest work for too long. Who wants to make little and pay off huge debts at the same time?

Lesson: Pay attention to all these things BEFORE you start law school. If you think you will work in the public interest - if there is even a chance that you will - look at the law school's requirements for public interest loan assistance. Then you know whether you SHOULD in fact take out more loans and not beg your family for financial assistance. Perhaps it will make more financial sense to NOT consolidate, and maybe more financial sense to take out those private loans with the high interest rates after all.

I hate being punished for being financially responsible, but that unfortunately, may be what happens in life. Play smart.