Speaker: Kimberlee Reed, Healthcare Employee
Kimberlee Reed: After finding out that my student loan debt was um forgiven completely by Fiducius, I was um just, it, it seems surreal. Um, at the time I owed, I, I'll just be honest, over 100 and $20,000 between my own student loan debt and parent plus loans that I took out to help my two Children get through college. Um, and at the time that was more than we owed on our 30 year mortgage. Anyone that has um, dealt with the student loan issue knows that it can be beyond frustrating to try to get answers or, um, figure out the best way to go about paying your debt down and most of what is paid from month to month, the principal is so such a small percentage, the mo the majority of the money that you pay goes to interest. And so I was looking at, um, probably not paying any of that off before I died. In fact, I, I made um, oh, I had reached out to them several times to make sure that when I did die because of my age, I'm in my fifties. Um, that, that debt would not go on to my family once I was gone. So to know that I am not gonna have that hanging over my head for the rest of my natural born life is just beyond exciting. Um I don't, it's just a huge weight off my shoulders, off my husband's shoulders, my kids. Um you know, I wish that I could take away the rest of their debt as well. That would, you know, just be the ultimate for me. So, but having this debt forgiven is well worth it. Um I think Fucus is amazing. I can't say enough good things about them. I think um working for a nonprofit and having the opportunity to utilize that um benefit is just something that I, you know, can't thank my employer enough for getting involved in. So anyone that works um in a nonprofit and has the opportunity to work with them, I would 100% recommend it. It is well worth it. So, um thank you.
Kimberlee Reed: I would tell a friend or colleague who's thinking about pursuing this benefit um to not wait any longer, just do it. Um I, I know I hesitated for a little while just thinking, oh, it's probably just gonna be the same run around that you get whenever you try to work with anybody um in the federal loan system. Um I think that entire system is set up for failure. Um But that's just from my past experience and I'm assuming that most people have the same bad experiences that I had. Um So I did put it off for a while but then once I just decided what the heck, you know what it can't hurt. Um I did it, it was so much easier than I thought it would be. Um, everyone that I worked with with at Fiducius was more than helpful. Um You know, I had a, oh, I can't remember what the position was but a lady that I talked to at the beginning who explained the whole process to me and she was very helpful and they were always helpful and very polite and nice in making sure that I got them all of the information that they needed to help me. Um So I would just say do it, just go for it, you have nothing to lose and you know, I think that you, you're gonna be just as happy as I was with the result. So um go for it.