<prompt> Human: We hear about people who borrowed X but end up having to pay X Y. When you get a mortgage the price is stable each and every month until it is paid off. Why arent student loans set up like this so people have a defined payment amount?  <response>: There are different payment options for atudent loans as there are for mortgages. For example choosing deferred repayment results in low payments in the beginning and high payments at the end. I believe the standard repayment is equal payments throught the term, though it may not be selcted as the borrower is looking to decrease immediate cost.Similarly there are different nortgage options, the most popular aee fixed rate term mortgages, but arm mortgages adjust periodically based on current rates, and tend to start out lower than they end up. Interest inly and balloon mortgages are an extreme representation of the deferred payment principal.In the end it comes down to the repayment option the borrower selects, though the borrower may not truely understand what they have selected. 