Consider doing volunteer work through organizations that provide student loan forgiveness. According to FinAid article "Loan," volunteering for organizations AmeriCorps or Volunteers in Service to America can help reduce your student loan by $4,727. In return, you must offer AmeriCorps 12 months of volunteerism, and you receive an additional $7,400 in stipends from them. For Volunteers in Service to America, you need to spend 1,700 hours volunteering to help end poverty, illiteracy, homelessness and hunger. Volunteerism is a good option if you cannot find a job, which keeps you from having money to pay off the loans. You need to spend a substantial amount of time doing volunteerism, which demands that you have few other obligations.
Consider becoming a teacher to reduce your student debt. Teachers who serve low-income children may have the opportunity to have part of their Perkins student loans forgiven under The National Defense Education Act. For instance, the first and second years on the job you can have 15% of your loan forgiven. The third and fourth years, 20% is forgiven. The fifth year, 30% is forgiven. According to College Scholarships article "Student Loan Forgiveness Programs," you might have to work in high-needs areas including math, work with disabled students, and help with early childhood programs. Ask yourself honestly whether you can complete those obligations. Teaching is a difficult profession; you might be working in a position more difficult than other teachers.
Although your last resort may be filing bankruptcy, this choice is not for everyone. According to College Scholarships article "Filing Bankruptcy and Your Student Loan Obligations," student loan forgiveness through bankruptcy rarely works. You typically need to be disabled to have the court grant you student loan forgiveness through bankruptcy. Unless you have tragic circumstances that keep you from getting a job, the court is not likely to rule in your favor. The only positive side to filing bankruptcy is that your credit card debt would typically be eradicated, which may free up money to pay off your student loans.