Make a list of all your loans, the amounts and the interest rates you are paying on each one. Also include payment amounts and due dates. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you are aware of all your loan responsibilities.
Make your loan payments on time. Student loans usually provide a grace period after you graduate during which no loan payments are due. Keep track of when your grace period ends and when your payments start, and make each one promptly. Make the payment early, if possible, so that you have time to fix any complications with your payment method. Some loan programs offer an incentive to make these payments on time, such as Federal Direct Loans, which offer a rebate if the first 12 payments are made on time.
Make larger payments on the loans with a higher interest rate. As your loan sits, it collects interest that is added to the total sum you must pay back. The higher the interest rate of a loan, the more money is being added to your total sum. Contact your loan provider to ensure that there is no penalty for paying off your loan early. If there is no penalty, pay as much as you can afford on the loans with higher interest rates until it is paid off. Then, choose the next higher interest rate loan and repeat.
Find a job that helps pay off a portion of your student loans. To determine if an employer helps with loan payments, ask when you inquire about the job position in general. Investigate programs that payoff loans which you may qualify for, such as California's Assumption Program of Loans for Education, which makes payments on your debt in exchange for teaching in California in a particular subject or school. Consider public service jobs, because according to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, any debt that remains after 10 years is dismissed if you work full-time in a public service position for that decade.