To clarify, we didn't get better terms. In our case, the remainder of the debt was wiped.
As an incentive to become a teacher, where your pay isn't good, as compared to the education level required for the position, there are programs to expunge debt if you teach for x amount of years or in certain subject areas or whatever. It's also to prevent teachers from leaving for the private sector where the pay is better.
But that program had weird clauses....like, you had to pay for 10 years -- but it had to be 10 consecutive years with unrealistically strict terms. My wife got promoted to the district level (still working for the school) but since she was out of the classroom, that stopped the consecutive payments streak within the classroom....not really the spirit of the rule. Another thing has to do with teaching certificates. Sometimes (I don't know the exact details), but your teaching certificate will expire and you have to be rehired -- and sometimes you'll get hired on a temporary certificate...something like that. But that isn't considered part of the 10 years.
Anyway, we kinda got screwed on those things, because...frankly, they were bullshit technicalities, which the federal government recognized and corrected. So, they retroactively credited all of the payments to the 10 year program thing and resolved the debt.
I don't normally share such intimate details online, especially about my finances. However, I just think that we're so quick to complain about government and programs and who gets helped and all this stuff seems so nebulous. But finally my train came in and it will matter a whole lot to my family.
I'm glad you got this 800 pound elephant off your back. Debt can be crippling if you're not careful, even student loan debt. I, personally, try to avoid debt whenever possible. My wife and I have a couple of rewards credit cards that we pay all our monthly bills with, but we make it a point to slam them each month so that they have a zero balance. When we need to make a big purchase, we find a good deal but one that also involves zero interest for a certain period of time.
As for the story involving your wife, I agree, it was technicalities that shouldn't have been in the way to begin with. If she was still working for the school system, then she should've reaped the benefits. They are doing that because of the shortage of teachers in Florida and in the nation. They are also letting people with no experience teach public school as long as they have at least a bachelors degree and can pass a couple of exams. My wife had an advertising degree and went into teaching this year after subbing last year.
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