<prompt> Human: Hey all. I have about 170K debt from law school. Im a couple years out of school and am making around 70-80K a year depending on bonuses at a firm. Its a good job, and I have a chance for some growth career-wise. All of my loans are federal, and Im on an IBR repayment schedule paying about 500month. IBR, as you know, is a plan that tracks to your current income, and after 25 years the remaining debt is forgiven of course, depending on the tax laws 25 years from now, Ill likely have to pay a big tax bill when that happens. My question: would it make sense to pay more than the minimum payment every month if, right now, it seems like Ill never be able to pay it off in less than 25 years? I can probably afford about 1000month total if I needed to. A couple of the loans are GradPLUS which have a 8.5 interest rate. I also wonder if I could even pay off more than the monthly interest that is accruing. I know that my salary will likely increase over the years, but Im not sure if it will ever increase enough to completely pay off the loans early. Should I continue to focus on putting my extra money away for savingsinvestments, or should I switch my focus to paying off the student loan debt in the hopes that Im able to pay it off in 10-15 years? Thanks!  <response>: Just pay your student loans. I am a pharmacist, make 120kyr and have 200k in debt. I plan on paying that off in 5 years. Sure it sucks not to spend my money on fun and extravagant things but its the responsible thing to do.Its not like you have over 200k in debt, a worthless degree and are working a minimum wage job. That is what IBR is intended for. It would be responsible just to pay the debt and move on with your life.Listen to Dave Ramsey. 