I owe about $9,600+ on the loan (paying over 5 years at $275/month), and I want to pay it off ASAP. I only make $9/hr at my workplace, and I'm 43 years of age.

You pay it off the same way any other person does, nibble away at it until its gone even though you have to do without. Raise funds, you have to be kidding. If it was that easy my friend, we would all be paying off our debts.

Tick

I owe about $9,600+ on the loan (paying over 5 years at $275/month), and I want to pay it off ASAP. I only make $9/hr at my workplace, and I'm 43 years of age.

Look where you can cut costs to free up more money to go towards the loan. Are you single, married, have a family? This can determine how much, and where, you can logically cut back.

If possible, cut out cable television (or at least extra channels, HD options, etc.), go back to dial up for your PC (slow, but it will save some money), catch a ride to work with a friend (even if only a few days a week), cut back on entertainment... DVDs from the library once in awhile instead of the cinema, maybe you can eat more cheaply... watch for store sales, clip coupons, and actually use them (this can save a great deal of money... put any savings towards your loan), limit how often you eat out each month... take a lunch to work, have a garage sale and sell of stuff you don't use or need (be brutal and really down-size your living), do you have both a landline and cell phone? Get rid of the landline and go with a cheaper basic plan for the cell phone.

These are just a few ideas you could try... look for others as you go over your household bills. Might it be possible to refinance the loan and have a lower interest rate? That can make a savings over the life of the loan. Could you get a second job?

Get a second job, can help. Or merely pay it off as you are for now

Its simple,cut out all the non essentials like cable,cell phone etc and put that money toward your loan.you would be surprised how you can cut back and put that money toward your debt. Even if its paying an extra 20 or 30 dollars a month it will help. Set up a budget and stick to it. That $9600 will start going down and when you see it can be done it might inspire you to see what else you can cut and put toward that debt. I know it seems like a lot of money but I know of a person who had $12000.00 in cc debt and paid it off in 14 months just by cutting back and putting that money toward the billl Just a thought, instead of paying once a month try paying twice a month and I bet you will soon see a difference in the amount you owe