Ms. Jarvis.

I started with the USDA in Jan 2011. Our combined student loan debt is (mine - $47000, spouse - $2400). The only private student loan debt is $2305.  My current salary is $38.5K. My wife is not working as we are expecting our first child in mid-september. My wife has not had a full time job since 2006-2007; before we got married and she is about half-way through her nursing program. She plans to go back to school to complete her nursing degree in a couple of years.

I am new to this site and just found out about IBRinfo.org. Currently I am paying over $550/month in Student Loans and starting next month I will pay another $277/month which would make my student loan payment $827/month.
 

My questions are:

1) Where do I start for Income Based Repayment?
2) Should I wait till Sept so I can add a dependent and that would lower my payments based on IBR?
3) Since I am working for the U.S Govt, how do I go about with the PSLF?

Thanks!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness is earned by making payments.  You have to make the right kind of payments, on the right kind of loans, while you are in the right kind of job. 

Start by reading through Public Service Loan Forgiveness in 5 Easy Steps and the other one pagers on my tools page under Tools for Student Loan Borrowers, especially the Borrower Action Plan.  Also think about attending one of my free webinars.

That’ll answer your questions about getting started with PSLF and IBR.

As for your baby, congratulations!  And interestingly, unborn children are counted in the IBR definition of “family size” in the year in which they will be born, so you need not wait!

Let me know if other questions arise.