Everyone who has federal student loans (90% of all loan disbursements) qualifies for income based repayment plans if the plan will lower your payment.

*PLUS loans your parents took out don't qualify, but you won't need those if you're going to a 4 year state school.

>20 years for something that didn't work out is still a pretty awful deal

Didn't work out meaning can't make much money. For a family of 4 making $50k (about the median household income), you'd pay back around $100 a month.