Virginia Murphy borrowed a small fortune to attend law school and pursue her dream of becoming a public defender. Now the Florida resident is among an expanding breed of American borrower: those who owe at least $100,000 in student debt but have no expectation of paying it back. 
 
 Ms. Murphy pays just $330 a month—less than the interest on her $256,000 balance—under a federal income-based repayment program that has become one of the nation’s fastest-growing entitlements. She plans to use another federal program to have her... ||||| The 2018 federal poverty guidelines have been released. The 2017 guidelines are also provided below for reference. Federal poverty levels are used to determine eligibility for certain federal health programs, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 
 
 For more about the FPL guidelines, see this article by the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health: Poverty vs. Federal Poverty Level. 
 
 Eligibility for advance premium tax credits in the individual marketplace (exchange) is determined by 2017 federal poverty guidelines for the remainder of the 2018 coverage year. Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP in 2018 is determined by the 2018 poverty guidelines. 
 
 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines 
 
 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Continental United States 
 
 Household/ 
 
 Family Size 100% 138% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $12,140 16,753 18,210 24,280 30,350 36,420 48,560 2 $16,460 22,715 24,690 32,920 41,150 49,380 65,840 3 $20,780 28,676 31,170 41,560 51,950 62,340 83,120 4 $25,100 34,638 37,650 50,200 62,750 75,300 100,400 5 $29,420 40,600 44,130 58,840 73,550 88,260 117,680 6 $33,740 46,561 50,610 67,480 84,350 101,220 134,960 7 $38,060 52,523 57,090 76,120 95,150 114,180 152,240 8 $42,380 58,484 63,570 84,760 105,950 127,140 169,520 9 $46,700 64,446 70,050 93,400 116,750 140,100 186,800 10 $51,020 70,408 76,530 102,040 127,550 153,060 204,080 11 $55,340 76,369 83,010 110,680 138,350 166,020 221,360 12 $59,660 82,331 89,490 119,320 149,150 178,980 238,640 13 $63,980 88,292 95,970 127,960 159,950 191,940 255,920 14 $68,300 94,254 102,450 136,600 170,750 204,900 273,200 
 
 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines for Alaska 
 
 Household/ 
 
 Family Size 100% 138% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $15,180 20,948 22,770 30,360 37,950 45,540 60,720 2 $20,580 28,400 30,870 41,160 51,450 61,740 82,320 3 $25,980 35,852 38,970 51,960 64,950 77,940 103,920 4 $31,380 43,304 47,070 62,760 78,450 94,140 125,520 5 $36,780 50,756 55,170 73,560 91,950 110,340 147,120 6 $42,180 58,208 63,270 84,360 105,450 126,540 168,720 7 $47,580 65,660 71,370 95,160 118,950 142,740 190,320 8 $52,980 73,112 79,470 105,960 132,450 158,940 211,920 9 $58,380 80,564 87,570 116,760 145,950 175,140 233,520 10 $63,780 88,016 95,670 127,560 159,450 191,340 255,120 11 $69,180 95,468 103,770 138,360 172,950 207,540 276,720 12 $74,580 102,920 111,870 149,160 186,450 223,740 298,320 13 $79,980 110,372 119,970 159,960 199,950 239,940 319,920 14 $85,380 117,824 128,070 170,760 213,450 256,140 341,520 
 
 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii 
 
 Household/ 
 
 Family Size 100% 138% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $13,960 19,265 20,940 27,920 34,900 41,880 55,840 2 $18,930 26,123 28,395 37,860 47,325 56,790 75,720 3 $23,900 32,982 35,850 47,800 59,750 71,700 95,600 4 $28,870 39,841 43,305 57,740 72,175 86,610 115,480 5 $33,840 46,699 50,760 67,680 84,600 101,520 135,360 6 $38,810 53,558 58,215 77,620 97,025 116,430 155,240 7 $43,780 60,416 65,670 87,560 109,450 131,340 175,120 8 $48,750 67,275 73,125 97,500 121,875 146,250 195,000 9 $53,720 74,134 80,580 107,440 134,300 161,160 214,880 10 $58,690 80,992 88,035 117,380 146,725 176,070 234,760 11 $63,660 87,851 95,490 127,320 159,150 190,980 254,640 12 $68,630 94,709 102,945 137,260 171,575 205,890 274,520 13 $73,600 101,568 110,400 147,200 184,000 220,800 294,400 14 $78,570 108,427 117,855 157,140 196,425 235,710 314,280 
 
 2017 Federal Poverty Guidelines 
 
 Federally facilitated marketplaces will use the 2016 guidelines to determine eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP. 
 
 Household Size 100% 133% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $12,060 $16,040 $18,090 $24,120 $30,150 $36,180 $48,240 2 16,240 21,599 24,360 32,480 40,600 48,720 64,960 3 20,420 27,159 30,630 40,840 51,050 61,260 81,680 4 24,600 32,718 36,900 49,200 61,500 73,800 98,400 5 28,780 38,277 43,170 57,560 71,950 86,340 115,120 6 32,960 43,837 49,440 65,920 82,400 98,880 131,840 7 37,140 49,396 55,710 74,280 92,850 111,420 148,560 8 41,320 54,956 61,980 82,640 103,300 123,960 165,280 
 
 
 
 2017 Alaska Poverty Guidelines 
 
 Household Size 100% 133% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $15,060 $20,030 $22,590 $30,120 $37,650 $45,180 $60,240 2 20,290 26,986 30,435 40,580 50,725 60,870 81,160 3 25,520 33,942 38,280 51,040 63,800 76,560 102,080 4 30,750 40,898 46,125 61,500 76,875 92,250 123,000 5 35,980 47,853 53,970 71,960 89,950 107,940 143,920 6 41,210 54,809 61,815 82,420 103,025 123,630 164,840 7 46,440 61,765 69,660 92,880 116,100 139,320 185,760 8 51,670 68,721 77,505 103,340 129,175 155,010 206,680 
 
 
 
 2017 Hawaii Poverty Guidelines 
 
 Household Size 100% 133% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $13,860 $18,434 $20,790 $27,720 $34,650 $41,580 $55,440 2 18,670 24,831 28,005 37,340 46,675 56,010 74,680 3 23,480 31,228 35,220 46,960 58,700 70,440 93,920 4 28,290 37,626 42,435 56,580 70,725 84,870 113,160 5 33,100 44,023 49,650 66,200 82,750 99,300 132,400 6 37,910 50,420 56,865 75,820 94,775 113,730 151,640 7 42,720 56,818 64,080 85,440 106,800 128,160 170,880 8 47,530 63,215 71,295 95,060 118,825 142,590 190,120 
 
 
 
 2016 Federal Poverty Guidelines 
 
 Federally facilitated marketplaces will use the 2016 guidelines to determine eligibility for premium tax credits. 
 
 Household Size 100% 133% 150% 200% 250% 300% 400% 1 $11,880 $15,800 $17,820 $23,760 $29,700 $35,640 $47,520 2 16,020 21,307 24,030 32,040 40,050 48,060 64,080 3 20,160 26,813 30,240 40,320 50,400 60,480 80,640 4 24,300 32,319 36,450 48,600 60,750 72,900 97,200 5 28,440 37,825 42,660 56,880 71,100 85,320 113,760 6 32,580 43,331 48,870 65,160 81,450 97,740 130,320 7 36,730 48,851 55,095 73,460 91,825 110,190 146,920 8 40,890 54,384 61,335 81,780 102,225 122,670 163,560 
 
 
 
 Source: Calculations by Families USA based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
– In 2012 the average medical-school grad owed about $162,000 in student loan debt. But many of these newly minted doctors can, thanks to one government program, pay just a few hundred dollars a month on their loans—in some cases, far less than the interest that's being tacked on each month. And after 10 years, when the balance has swelled above $200,000, they can have whatever they owe wiped clean. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at this expanding class of borrower: graduate or professional-school students with a six-figure loan who don't expect or intend to pay it back. That attitude isn't a flouting of the rules. As the Journal reports, one 2012 program allows borrowers to pay a max of 10% of their discretionary income (that's any adjusted gross income beyond 1.5 times the poverty line.) And while undergrads are prevented from taking on more than $57,500 in federal loans, as of 2006 grad students stopped being restricted in a similar manner: Once they've borrowed $138,500 in government Stafford loans (that figure includes undergrad debt), the roughly 10-year-old Grad PLUS loans step in, in many cases eliminating the need to fill the gap using private loans. Grad PLUS was actually supposed to help taxpayers, because the interest rates on these loans were higher. But a 2007 measure allows those working full-time for a federal agency or nonprofit to have their balance wiped away if they make 10 years of payments (which, yes, can be capped at the aforementioned 10%) on time—at the taxpayers' expense. The Journal notes that 73% of America's hospitals are nonprofits or government owned, meaning doctors working there qualify.