[cylinder]

With Pay As You Earn a debtor won't pay more than 10% of AGI to federal student loans. Note that's AGI, not gross income, meaning you can contribute to retirement and not have it counted. Loans aren't as big of a constraint on career options as people make them out to be. Debtors are also willfully ignorant of these sorts of options and choose to instead destroy their lives paying debts that don't need to be paid.

To be clear, it's a huge problem, and we shouldn't have this sort of debt loads on those who want to educate themselves. It also weakens the broader economy and drives up professional services costs. But to say people are killing themselves because of student loans is a mistake.

[riahi]

While it is true that PAYE is capped at 10% of AGI, if you have an average medical school debt and are making a resident's salary, your payment will be less than your interest accrued each month. PAYE does nothing to cap your interest.

Further, implying that Doctors are willfully ignorant of loan financing options is...interesting. All Federal borrowers are required to complete exit loan counseling upon graduation from medical school. That counseling includes discussion of the various repayment options (Standard, Extended, ICR, IBR, PAYE, and forbearance).