The 5 Stages of Student Loan Debt Grief

The mixed emotions of student loan debt as described through the 5 stages of grief.

😮 Denial 😮

That number can’t be quite right…. how much interest have my loans earned since I started college?! No way that’s right. The Department of Education is going to call and let me know they made a mistake for sure.

😡 Anger 😡

Wait a minute WTF?! Who built this system, rich old white men?! How dare they take so much of my money?! I spent a ton of time in college and delayed income for 6 years… they can’t do this to me!

😕 Bargaining 😕

Ok well I can defer my payments for a few months, that will take some pressure off at least temporarily so I can breathe. Then maybe I can figure out the income based repayment plan. Maybe I can convince my employer to start a student loan repayment matching program. Maybe I can just miraculously get a post-graduation gift from a super kind stranger. Or ooh maybe somehow the Dept of Ed will zero out my balance…

🙁  Depression 🙁

Well there’s really nothing I can do to pay these off. Either I’m condemned to a life of living in squalor never traveling or having any fun or I’m stuck paying on these for the rest of my life. I’m a broke loser with a stupid degree, I shouldn’t have gone to college. 

😞 Acceptance 😞

Alright this is what it is and there’s not much I can do other than muscle through. My loan amount is definitely correct, yes the cost of education is an under recognized crime against millennials, certainly my debt isn’t disappearing without me paying it all, I’m not a loser and I will find a way to make this work. Now where do I go to find solutions?

What stages of grief do you frequent? Have you made it all the way to acceptance? If so you’re gonna love my upcoming book Repayable out January 1st! Share your hilarious thoughts and current stage of student loan debt grief in the comments below or in the Repayable Facebook Group .