Being that, I assume, you still actually live in New Jersey, you have my sympathies. I always refer to NJ as a place you hear people are FROM (in that they had the good sense to leave).
My sister finally fled NJ, about ten years ago now, to live in South Carolina. Doesn’t go back except to visit grandchildren (which is increasingly difficult to arrange as they are graduating high school and leaving the family home).
On the loan repayment, just to be clear, the daughters were only responsible for repaying the $15k or so in Stafford student looans made to each of them. Certainly a manageable amount and they did pay them off.
The Stafford Parent Plus loans were made to us, the parents, and our daughters never were on the hook to repay them. The benefit to us was a federally mandated and backed low interest rate on what would otherwise have been an expensive personal loan. There were several years when they overlapped in college where my yearly school loan for the two was equivalent to the purchase price of a mid-range new car.
Yes, I’m still here (and probably will be at least until the parents and in-laws pass on); I’ve heard that about people in far places being “from Jersey”.
Thanks for explaining the loan types; I’ll be crossing that bridge eventually. I like the comparison to “a raise” when they’re paid off; like making the last payment on a vehicle (with really high monthly payments)...