The nice thing about federal student loans is that monthly payments are based upon your income rather than what you owe. In theory, it might be possible to retire with a large amount of federal student debt, and then eventually have that debt forgiven.

That all being said, this approach won’t work in every circumstance. I have a couple of articles that might help you evaluate your options. First, this article on living on Social Security and repaying student debt. It may not all be applicable to you, and much will depend upon how you are taxed on the money you receive to sustain yourself.

Additionally, while it is possible to eventually have the loans forgiven, you may face a large tax bill at that time.