<prompt> Human: Hello all!Im strongly considering filing for Chapter 7, and would really appreciate your impartial adviceknowledge on the pros and cons of that choice. The situation: Im 26, have 25k in credit card debt, own my car outright though its a bit of a beater w 150k miles on it--Kelly Blue Book value of 6500 and have a credit score of 692.Ive managed, over the last 3 years to pay down about 5,000 of my debt, from a high of 30k. But now Im just barely able to make the minimum payments and still pay my car health insurance. This leaves my boyfriend on the hook for everything else we live together and I try to contribute in every non-financial way possible-- all the cooking, cleaning, dog walking, errand running, etc. but I hate that after paying my monthly payments I dont even have 100 to help with rentMy job prospects are limited by the fact that I dont have a college degree in my current name. In 2008, I cut off contact with an abusive family member, and was subsequently cut off by the rest of my family including their help with the cost of university-- and I had no idea how to manage money. I was so damn idiotic. I put the rest of college of credit cards, along with my living expenses. Aaaand bam, Im 30k in debt!. When the no-contact failed, and he began threatening not just me but the people around me, I mand the f up and got a legal name change through a sealed court order and moved across the country. Despite not being able to contact anyone from my family or old life, my life is so much better: I get to wake up, every day, unafraid.Er, sorry for the tangent, I realize this isnt rfreetherapy. ANYWAY, my degree is in my previous name and because my family are major donors to the school, its a bad move to transfer it into my current name. That really limits my ability to find a job that could reasonably pay off my debt. Also, did I mention my field of interest is sustainable agriculture? Even in the best of situations, that doesnt exactly bring in investment-banking-type money. I have no plans to buy a house or new car in the next 5 years, and I mostly work for either hippies who are very understanding and restaurants who dont care. And if I never touch another credit card it will be too soon, so Im fine with not being able to get credit.So, in short: Barely making monthly payments on debt while SO is paying for all living expenses yes hes amazing, and Im very lucky to be with someone so understanding, and I definitely let him know that! 25K in debt APR 18.99 no property except a car, which would be exempt unlikely that my income will improve significantlyMy pros for Chapter 7: better to do it young so I can start rebuilding my credit, I dont want to keep dragging my SO down with my past financial mistakes, I want to be able to start saving.Cons: tanks my now-decent credit, may mean difficulty renting future apartments, not sure how this will effect SO ifwhen we tie the knot, the guilt of not paying back what I owe :Deepest apologies for the wall o text, anyall advice appreciated!  <response>: I dont think you need to transfer the degree into your new name. You can simply provide your potential employer with the legal documents showing the name change. So yeah, use your degree to get a higher paying job. 25k is manageable once you start making real money. 