URGENT—for early 2026! Do you have even one Parent PLUS loan? Might your parents have taken out a Parent PLUS loan for you? Skip this article and jump straight to the more urgent one here.
The rules that govern your student loans seem to be changing so fast—it’s hard to keep up.
Who can help you?
Meet the nonprofit organization that helps students (and former students) sort through the questions they have about their existing student loans.
When I’ve got questions like this, I rely on Betsy Mayotte from TISLA, a nonprofit organization that provides “fair, free student loan advice.”
Here’s why I trust TISLA:
TISLA is The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. It’s a nonprofit organization “dedicated to providing free, unbiased advice and dispute resolution services to student loan borrowers.” TISLA’s mission is “to empower borrowers with accurate information, enabling them to make informed decisions about their student loans.” TISLA “ensures that all consumers have access to fair guidance on managing their student loans without any associated costs.”
TISLA provides current, accurate guidance on loan forgiveness, repayment plan options, default resolution, and dispute resolution (in those situations where mediation assistance is needed to resolve disputes between borrowers and loan servicers or lenders).
TISLA’s commitment to neutrality and free services “distinguishes them from for-profit entities that may charge for similar assistance.”
You can find TISLA online at freestudentloanadvice.org.
If you have student loans but you’re still in college or grad school, the best idea is—try to pay them off before graduation by applying for more private scholarships.
I help you with exactly that in my article: In College? Do This and Slash Your Student Loan Debt.
Have you got even one Parent PLUS loan? Do this now. It’s urgent. Don’t wait.
If you have even one Parent PLUS loan, go here, now. There are urgent steps you need to take as soon as you can in 2026.
NOTE: You need to know that if you have private student loan debt and you die, your grieving parents or other family members could be stuck making your student loan payments for decades. Talk to a financial advisor this month about taking out an inexpensive life insurance policy that will pay all these bills in their entirety if the worst happens.
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It’s our goal to help as many families as possible. Copy this entire article and paste it right into your school, business, or homeschool newsletter. Put a link to it in your Facebook group! Just include the words “By Jeannie Burlowski.”
If you’re a parent with kids ages 12–18, help them to not get student loans in the first place.
Get your copy of my book:
Important—> It’s a reference book, so nobody reads the whole thing cover to cover. Pick out what you need to read using the fast-paced, 10-minute video instructions here.
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Read just one chapter of LAUNCH every 1–3 months while your child’s in middle school and high school, and you’ll know every viable strategy for debt-free college at exactly the right time to implement it.
And if your child’s already well past middle school? That’s OK; you can run to catch up. But the process of getting your kids through college debt-free goes more smoothly the earlier you start—especially if you’re not planning to save up any money to pay for college.
Let's you and I walk together toward the goal of debt-free college for your kids.
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Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and sought-after speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Her writing, speaking, and podcasting help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News & World Report, as well as on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com. You can follow her on Bluesky @jburlowski.bsky.social.
This article was written by a caring human expert. AI tools may have assisted with research or editing.
This article was updated on February 3rd, 2026.