Are these federal loans? Do they not qualify for the 0% interest and payment freeze due to covid? (more on that here: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/delivering-president-trumps-promise-secretary-devos-suspends-federal-student-loan-payments-waives-interest-during-national-emergency)

Have you looked into alternative repayment plans (such as PAYE or REPAYE) that would have lower payments?

The following articles might be helpful to you:
https://studentloansherpa.com/repayment-plan-options-strategy/
https://studentloansherpa.com/ibr-federal-loan-payments/

Hi Bernadette,

Your credit score has dropped into the territory where refinancing at a lower rate with a new lender will be hard, but not impossible. Definitely keep your federal loans as is, but you might try casting a wide net to refinance that private debt with a new lender. If you are able to bump your credit score up a few points, it would also be a huge help to your cause.

I can’t give you a specific lender because they all evaluate applications differently. Instead, reach out to a bunch and see if you have any luck. I have a list of them here: https://studentloansherpa.com/student-loan-reviews/

Best of luck to you!