It isn't exactly the most popular option for a lot of reasons, but one possibility is going on an income based repayment plan for as much of the debt as you can. The debt sticks around for 25 years but it allows you not to worry about not having enough money. Also, what are your interest rates? If they are in the 3-4% range, you may be able to do better taking your extra money and saving with it rather than paying off the loan.