[...] What kind of sources are out there to help me in paying back my … [...]

Depending on where you teach, you may be eligible for student loan forgiveness. Which student loans do you have?

STAFFORD:

Stafford loans can be forgiven/canceled if you have been employed as a full-time teacher for five consecutive, complete academic years in an elementary or secondary school that has been designated as a "low-income" school by the U.S. Department of Education. The school must be public or private nonprofit and at least one of the 5 qualifying years must have been during or after the 1997-98 academic year.

You can receive $17,500 in loan forgiveness if, during the aforementioned 5 years of teaching (in a low-income school), you…

(a) were a highly-qualified math or science teacher in a secondary school, or
(b) were "a highly qualified special education teacher whose primary responsibility was to provide special education to children with disabilities, and you were teaching children with disabilities that corresponded to your area of special education training and have demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in the content areas of the curriculum that you were teaching."

You can receive $5,000 in loan forgiveness if…

(a) your five consecutive complete years of qualifying teaching service (in a low-income school) started before October 30, 2004, and
(b) you were a full-time elementary school teacher who demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the elementary school curriculum; or who taught in a subject area that was relevant to your academic major.

You can also receive $5,000 in loan forgiveness if

(a) your five consecutive complete years of qualifying teaching service (in a low-income school) started on or after October 30, 2004, and
(b) you were a highly qualified full-time elementary or secondary school teacher

PERKINS:

Perkins loans can be forgiven/canceled/discharged if…

* you are a full time in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school system as a teacher in a school serving students from low-income families
* you are a full-time or special-education teacher, including teachers of infants, toddlers, children, or youth with disabilities;
* you are a teacher in the fields of mathematics, science, foreign languages, or bilingual education, or in any other field of expertise determined by a state education agency to have a shortage of qualified teachers in that state.

{These are the loan forgiveness provisions for teachers; but, there are other ways for Perkins loans to be forgiven, too. For these other ways, see here: http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml}