Some student loan borrowers are currently unable to access their payment progress for Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) plans. This situation arises as the Department of Education has paused payment counts, coinciding with significant changes to the loan programs initiated during the Trump administration, including stricter regulations on the PSLF program.
The removal of payment counts on StudentAid.gov affects those enrolled in PSLF and IDR plans. This feature had been established under the Biden administration to aid borrowers in tracking their progress. An automated message from MOHELA, the customer service line for Department of Education accounts, confirmed this halt, stating that representatives do not have further information regarding the forgiveness payment counts and urged borrowers to continue checking StudentAid.gov for updates.
The reason behind this removal remains uncertain. However, this is not the first instance of information being taken down from the website; the IDR tracker was previously removed in the spring due to concerns about inaccuracies.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has indicated that Education Secretary Linda McMahon plans to restore access to the payment count tracker on StudentAid.gov. Warren emphasized that restoring this service will enable borrowers to monitor their journey toward debt relief, following the earlier removal of the tracker during the Trump administration.
Currently, loan forgiveness under previously established IDR plans, namely SAVE, PAYE, and ICR, is paused. The Department of Education clarified that forgiveness options linked to these plans are currently unavailable as they were not enacted by Congress. However, forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan continues to be processed, and payments towards PAYE, SAVE, and ICR may contribute to achieving forgiveness through the IBR plan.
Despite the ongoing challenges faced by borrowers, the commitment from officials to restore necessary tools for tracking progress reflects a step toward more transparency and support in managing student debt. As borrowers await clarity, staying informed through reliable sources remains crucial.