> This is an extremely bad way to think about handling your financial future. I feel like too many people engage in these risky bets not only with student loans

> This is an extremely bad way to think about handling your financial future. I feel like too many people engage in these risky bets not only with student loans, but also with investments. But consider, what if student loans are not forgiven? Here you would sit at, what? 40, or 45, not having paid anything on your loans. That's a horrible idea. I'm not saying you shouldn't pay anything on your student loan debt. This is in reply to the guy telling you to "pay off all your debt as soon as possible", which is common advice from some of these people that are all about financial responsibility. It's not necessarily good financial advice though. Most likely you should be paying off any other form of debt before paying off your student loan debt. Also, sometimes defaulting on overwhelming debt is actually the right thing to do. Sometimes bankruptcy is the best solution (not applicable to student loans, but still). In an environment where almost everyone around you (up to the federal government) is "financially irresponsible", being financially responsible yourself can put you squarely on the losing side. It's happened over and over again in history.