[Seeker]

Through reasons we won't go into I am responsible for my son's student loan (in the US). He has been paying it but only the minimum amount so the $20k loan is now $50k. Payments have been frozen by the US government as a covid relief but that finishes at the end of next month (although rumours abound that something else may be coming to help).

I want to help him but I can only (only!!!) give him $16k/yr or I get stung for US tax. So which makes more sense - pay $16k off the capital in one chunk or increase the monthly payments by $1300 ish (current minimum is $399/mo) to make it $1700/mo or does it end up the same?
It's a 7% loan and has 19 years to run (I think).

You can tell by my recent bike trades that I'm not good with money.