Paying of $10k on $125k income is nothing even in a HCOL if you're young and not tied down. I would know since I paid off $100k on that income in Austin which is not a cheap place to live. That said the $10k relief is nothing compared to the repayment changes in the bill if you are someone who is struggling under a mountain of debt that's growing faster than you can pay it off. They really buried the lede on this one, but it is mid-terms and the $10k is the political flashpoint.