Florida-based mom pays off $40K in student debt after living 'paycheck to paycheck'

College graduate and new mom Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, based in Florida, explained how she paid off $40,000 in student loans in less than a year — while two money experts, Brian Brenberg and Dave Ramsey, weighed in on the dangers of student loan cancellation.

All told, this graduate owed $40,000 in student loan repayment when she was done with her schooling.  "The biggest and most impactful thing that I did was find ways to make extra money."  Today, she travels full time with her husband and daughter while also running a successful finance blog. "I'm concerned you start to erode not only the markets for student debt but for every kind of borrowing when you engage in widespread debt forgiveness." "It is intellectually dishonest [for the government] to talk about forgiving student loans while they're still making them."

Meanwhile, many hardworking, play-by-the-rules Americans have diligently paid off their student loans as a matter of personal responsibility. Many are still in the process of doing so. They believe in taking care of their obligations; for them, it's the right thing to do.