Student loans are a fact of life for many educators who relied on that support to make their education career path possible, or who are now on Parent Plus loans to help their own children achieve their college and career dreams. But, so much has changed with the federal student loan programs over the last year, it can be really hard to keep track of what any of us need to be doing to stay on track with repayments. NEA Member Benefits Affiliate Relations Lead Guy Kendall-Freas joins us for this episode to get us up to speed.

GET HELP NAVIGATING YOUR STUDENT LOAN DEBT | Click here to learn more about NEA Member Benefits' Savi Student Debt Navigator tool and other student loan resources
 
FIND OTHER SAVINGS | Click here for more information on other NEA Member Benefits discounts and resources

REWIND AND LEARN MORE | Click here and here to hear Guy's interviews on previous Public Education Matters episodes about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

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Featured Public Education Matters guest:

Guy Kendall-Freas, NEA Member Benefits Affiliate Relations Lead

• Guy Kendall-Freas is the NEA Zone 3 Lead for NEA Member Benefits, where he has been employed since 1996.  A former special education teacher in Ohio, Guy was also a leader in his local, district and OEA.  He served the Ohio Department of Education in several capacities, including the Rules Revision Committee for Special Ed Service Delivery and as one of the first practicing teachers trained as Entry Year Teacher Assessors.  Working from his office in Mansfield, Ohio, he supports members and affiliates in the 13 states comprising NEA’s Zone 3.

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About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award-winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children. 

This episode was recorded on February 25, 2026.