The Viral Student Loan Solution People Can't Stop Talking About

by Erica Kollmann Benzinga Staff Writer

Zinger Key Points

Student loan debt in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, with borrowers collectively owing more than $1.77 trillion.
One TikTok user shares his creative "solution."
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Student loan debt in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, with borrowers collectively owing more than $1.77 trillion as of 2025, according to the Education Data Initiative.

As tuition costs continue to rise, many graduates struggle to manage monthly payments which can lead to challenges including delinquency, default and long-term financial insecurity.

One TikTok-er has a "solution."

The Details: TikTok user @thenormajeane5 recently went viral with a post detailing his unconventional strategy: staying in school indefinitely to keep student loans in deferment and avoid repayment.

@thenormajeane5
For legal purporses this is SATIRE: I'm never going to pay back those student loans. – don't get me wrong I know it's inevitable and I hope to be in a better place in the future I guess.
♬ Don’t Forget About Us – KAYTRANADA Remix – Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA

Thenormajeane5, who is currently working toward a doctoral degree, explained that after graduating in about two and a half years, he plans to keep pursuing associate degrees for the rest of his life in order to remain a lifelong student and postpone repayment indefinitely.

The creative approach resonated with thousands online, racking up nearly 500,000 likes and more than 11,000 comments.

Many viewers shared similar stories. One commenter said their professor had over $800,000 in student loans and was still enrolled, joking that he'd never pay it back. Another mentioned their grandmother, who kept enrolling in new degrees and was about to graduate with her master's degree.

Others described using employer tuition reimbursement programs to keep taking classes, or simply repeating the deferment strategy for years.

Other Options: Student loan borrowers have other, perhaps more financially responsible options, including income-driven repayment plans and student loan refinancing.

Borrowers struggling to repay federal student loans can apply for an income-driven repayment plan which bases monthly student loan payment amounts on income and family size. For some people, payments on an IDR plan can be as low as $0 per month.

Borrowers with private student loans have other options like refinancing in order to achieve lower monthly payments. SoFi Technologies, Inc. SOFI specializes in student loan refinancing and Citizens Financial Group, Inc. CFG offers student loan refinancing through Citizens Bank.