In a number of countries student loans can be returned though a special scheme such as HECS or Fee-Help. It's a good idea to enquire about what options are available in a specific region where the loan was taken out.

Some of these schemes allow students to return the loan as a progressive percentage of their working wage. You might be able to elect to have a small percentage of income deducted each month to go towards the loan.

The importance of interest

Most student loans have a lower interest rate than regular loans. This makes them easier to return over a medium to long term repayment plan.

However be sure to check what the exact interest-rate of your loan is before devising a repayment plan. High interest rates make it worthwhile returning the loan as soon as possible to avoid the amount accumulating to a far larger figure than the original loan.

It's a good idea to ask around about special repayment schemes that might be available at local area -- e.g. through work or otherwise even if the loan was not taken out under one of these schemes.

If no repayment scheme can be located then the easiest method of returning the loan is to put aside a small percentage of your salary each week that will go towards re-paying the loan. The percentage should be larger for larger interest rates and can be smaller for smaller rates.

Some individuals wait until later life and a high-earning career before returning the entire loan where a low interest rate is in place. In these cases we can afford to wait for the available funds to come along. In cases where an interest rate causes the loan to accumulate a substantial amount over time a speedier repayment is called for however.

I recommend creating a plan of how right she can put aside each week to return the loan with having to pay the minimum amount of interest. This will mean creating a plan where the amount put aside should be higher for higher interest rates and lower for more comfortable rates. However 90% of the time there will be a local or Government repaying scheme of some sort available that will offer a much more convenient repayment plan through the college or other organization. It's worthwhile seeking more information on this.