<prompt> Human: Im just gonna put it out there, I have 186,207.12 in unsubsidized student loans at a fixed interest rate of 8The minimum payment is 2,395.21 each month which my parents have been very generously barely been scraping by the pay but theyre 59 58 respectively and on the verge of retiring they cant finically afford to keep paying this loan that they realistically should have never taken out for me parents CRUSH YOUR CHILDRENS DREAMS TELL THEM NO WE CANT AFFORD THIS. I recently paid off the student loans that were directly in my name after 2 years and now Im going to contribute to paying off that mountain.Right now my budget looks like thisIncome 3960 per month this is after taxes and assuming I dont work over time which I do at least 2 times a monthRent 899Phone 142 it will be going down to 60 come NovInternet 20Electric 30Hulu 8Saving 600Adobe CC 54 I need this for work which makes me wonder if I can write it off on my taxes?Transportation 116That if my math is right means I have 2200 left at the end of the month with some wobble room for food which I left out because month to month what I spend on food widely varies which just barely covers the minimum payment on the loans which based on my math means it would take me 9 years to pay them off and I would pay 74,521.93 in interest in that time which is crazy! Right now theres a balance of 488.13 in owed interest that Ive set a payment for friday to pay off on top of the already scheduled required payment. So I have two questions is there any feasible way for me to get a loan of equal value at a lower interest rate? And is there any other suggestion about what I could be doing to proactively tackle this loan? I guess I should add too every 6 months or so I get a raise, or a pay upgrade I dont know how to properly explain, I work freelance and every new job I take is a little more complex at a higher skill set so I usually negotiate a higher salary. In the last year Ive gotten a 14hr pay increase and thats on trend to continue so its foreseeable that I could pay more at a future point. Assistant: If they are federal loans or if you can consolidate into a federal loan, you can get income based repayment IBR or income contingent repayment ICR which will lower your payments considerably.Human: Its been consolidated and that is the lower payment based on income. For about a year the payments had been 5,000 a month and constantly late or under paid cause my parents couldnt afford that. Assistant: Then you didnt do something right. If you bring home about 4500mo before taxes, IBR requires 10. Your payment should be no higher than 500mo.Human: I think Im guessing because my parents cosigned the loans that it took their joint income into account. Assistant: Well then youre boned. I dont know if retirement income counts, but I think it does so you cant rely on their retirement getting you out. One way to keep them off your back is to continue making payments of any kind. Generally the fed loan people will not go after you if you make reasonable payments. I would suggest 500-1000 in payments each month in good faith and making other changes to get into the career field you trained for. Im hoping you spent 200k on a marketable degree that will pay well? Why arent you employed in your field?Human: Oh Im am employed in my field but Im just a lowly assistant. There are like 2 other tiers ahead of me before Id max out in my field. Idk if youd call it marketable because its never directly gotten me a job but the connection and people from my school did? Assistant: Realistically are you going to ever achieve the pay necessary to make these payments in this career field?Human: Id be willing to give a confident yes. If in the next 2 years I can move up from Assistant to Editor I would on average for most jobs be looking at before taxes 2,800 a week at the bare minimum required by the union to be paid. And in the last 2 years Ive gone from being the Intern, to Night Assistant bottom of the post pro ladder to Day Assistant to Lead Assistant in 5 jobs. I mean things could go horrible for me and I level out at lead and not move anywhere but I refuse to be negative. If I can go from working part time at minimum wage at the start of 2014 I can do this too.  <response>: Just dont lose hope and stay positive about the situation. Things have a way of working themselves out. Youll make this. You got this, you control your reality. Anything you set your mind to you will achieve. 