Carissa's parents were unable to pay for her last year of college, so she obtained a student loan of $$8500.$ The conditions of the loan were: She would make no payments while in college, but the interest would accumulate at $4\mathrm{.}9\%$ compounded monthly. Upon graduation she would begin equal monthly payments that would repay the loan in six years. $($Round your final answers to two decimal places.$)$

$($a$)$ What was the amount of the loan when she graduated one year later? $($b$)$ What monthly payments will repay the loan in six years?