<prompt> Human: Hello PF! My girlfriend has 36,199.88 in student loan debt. Her aunt is giving her 10k to help pay off a good chunk of it and lower the overall interest she will end up paying. But because the debt is comprised of 13 different loans with different interest rates, were not sure which ones to pay off first. Ive read about the snowball and avalanche methods but I guess Im looking for reassurance that one particular method is better than another? Or maybe a modified version of one of those methods might make more sense? Heres a breakdown of her loans: -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 3690.27 5.350 fixed -Direct Unsubsidized Stafford: 2969.79 6.550 fixed -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 1813.58 4.250 fixed -Direct Unsubsidized Stafford: 1374.51 6.550 fixed -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 4501.65 3.150 fixed -Direct Unsubsidized Stafford: 2639.70 6.550 fixed -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 4577.76 3.150 fixed -Direct Unsubsidized Stafford: 2505.19 6.550 fixed -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 5609.04 3.610 fixed -Direct Unsubsidized Stafford: 2207.93 3.610 fixed -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 2252.39 4.410 fixed -Direct Subsidized Stafford: 500.43 4.040 fixed -Direct Unsubsidized Stafford: 1557.63 4.040 fixed Any help would be greatly appreciated!  <response>: Start with the ones at the highest interest 6.550 first, then the 5.x, then down from there. This would be the avalanche method.Snowball is when you pay off the smallest amount regardless of interest rate to get that little victory and keep you motivated. Since the gift should cover several of the higher ones, avalanche seems preferable. 