<prompt> Human: I have a friend who has significant student debt this is honestly not me but a friend. When this friend went to college his parents told him that Undergrad was taken care of. He went off to a private school and thought everything was ok. Following undergrad he went to Law School and was responsible to manage his own student debt. After that he joined a Firm and made an excellent salary. He was able to pay off his Law School loans and with that financial freedom decided to enter the Nonprofit world.Soon after entering the NGO world his parents informed him that they had been taking out loans in the parents name to pay for the undergrad education. His parents never told him this was happening, and he was not a co-signer of the loan.The problem is this: he now has been saddled with this debt he never knew about, and is no longer in the high-profit law firm world. Furthermore, he is unable to attach the loan forgiveness programs for lawyers that enter the NGO world, because the loans are not in his name.What can he do? Is there a way to get the loans put under his name to get the forgiveness program? Could he pay off the debt with another loan to move it under his name?Edit He has a budget to pay off the loans in place, and will be able to manage his budget while keeping the NGO job. Im just trying to see if there is a way he can access the existing loan forgiveness programs available to lawyers in the public interest.Edit 2 Thanks everyone for weighing in on this issue. Its good to hear that he is not the responsible party for paying off the loans, and unfortunate to hear that there is no way to apply for the loan forgiveness program or transfer the debt while remaining a student loan. Ill link him to this thread, and Im sure hell appreciate all the advice you sent.Edit 3 I understand that he is not on the hook, and its a gift. He is also aware of this, but his parents are getting older and he would at least like to maintain some relationship with them. Also, his parents would default if left with the loans. Trust me, he knows this is unforgivable, and there is a lot of work they need to do on their relationship. This is not what I am trying to get at. I am just trying to figure out what options are available, or if nothing is. That way he can move forward paying what he is knowing that he did all he could.Assistant: Tell his parents to pay it? He is not liable for the loans in any way.Human: While that is an option. He still does want to maintain a relationship with his parents. That would probably cause a huge rift larger than what already happened. This isnt as malicious as it sounds, but more of a major mismanagement of money followed by a set of blunders.  <response>: Too damn bad for the parents. They took out loans and didnt tell him. Thats on them in every sense. It sounds like he worked hard and structured his financial life carefully. 