Lainey: I agree. Student loans in their current form are totally predatory lending.

That’s why I am just so grateful that President Bush signed the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Act of 2007. With this program, a public school teacher like me can pay an income-based payment on her student loan for 10 years and if she is still in public service at the end of ten years of payments, the balance of the loan is forgiven!

Without this program I was looking at a totally unfair payment of nearly 60% of my net salary going to repay my student loans each month. As that would have been an impossible payment if I also wanted shelter and to eat regularly, I knew I was going to be taking this debt to my grave. But now, my payment is a very reasonable and fair 9% of my gross salary or just a little less than 20% of what I would have paid on the standard 10-year repayment plan.

I can eat, buy a house, pay my bills and plan for my future retirement! And the best part is, I can spend my entire career doing what I dreamed of doing; giving back to my community as a public servant.

I encourage every public servant I meet who has crippling school debt and is concerned they may have to leave public service for a more lucrative career in the private sector to look at this program. I am so happy that President Bush and the 110th Congress realized the critical importance of public servants to the welfare of the nation and made this act a reality for struggling government and non-profit workers.

Redfox: I don’t know if you’re a public servant but if you are, please look at this program! It may be your answer. If not, keep your fingers crossed. Congress is working on another loan forgiveness program for private sector workers.