Federal Student Loan Debt Relief
The federal student loan payment pause is extended until 60 days after the Department of Education is permitted to implement the debt relief program, or the litigation is resolved. If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, 2023, payments will resume 60 days after that. Loan servicers will notify borrowers before payments restart.
Federal Student Aid is encouraging borrowers to complete the application when available, although the debt cancellation is paused as a result of a court order.
The application for Federal Student Loan Debt Relief may be available for borrowers to complete through the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website at https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application. The deadline for applying for the loan cancellation is December 31, 2023.
Applicants are encouraged to monitor the email listed on their application in the event that FSA requires additional information to confirm their eligibility and process the application. Borrowers who were enrolled as a dependent student anytime between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, may be contacted after submission of the application to provide information about their parents’ income.
Applicants will be notified by their federal loan servicer(s) when the debt relief is applied to their loan balance, so borrowers should log into their account and confirm their contact information is up-to-date with their student loan servicer(s).
Beware of Scams! Read this Public Service Announcement from the Office of Inspector General and Get Support from Federal Student Aid.
Students, parents and alumni interested in the Federal Student Loan Debt Relief announced on August 24, 2022, can learn more through reviewing the resources below. To be notified when updates on the debt relief plan are available, sign up for Federal Student Loan Borrower Updates at the Department of Education subscription page. Federal Student Aid also recommends logging into your FSA ID account to make sure your contact information is up to date and to sign up to receive text alerts. The student debt relief is a one-time, pandemic-related loan cancellation, according to the Department of Education (ED).
The student debt cancellation will apply to borrowers with undergraduate, graduate, or parent loans held by the Department of Education who meet the income requirements.
Borrowers with annual income of under $125,000 (for individuals) or under $250,000 (for married couples or heads of households) may be eligible for up to $10,000 in loan debt cancellation. Borrowers who received a Pell Grant and met those income standards may be eligible for up to $20,000 in loan debt cancellation.
Students who are currently enrolled may also be eligible for this cancellation for their federal loans disbursed by June 30, 2022, if they meet the income standards based on parent income (for dependent students).
Borrowers can check their student aid history, including loan balances and Pell Grant status, by logging into their account at Federal Student Aid.
In addition to loan forgiveness, the Student Loan Debt Relief Plan provided a final extension of the student loan repayment pause until December 31, 2022 (which was subsequently extended until 60 days after the implementation of the debt relief program or resolution of the litigation but no later than 60 days after June 30, 2023) and announced plans for proposed regulations to create a new federal income-driven repayment plan option that would, for qualified borrowers, reduce monthly payments, provide limited loan forgiveness after 10 years, and cover the accumulation of unpaid monthly interest.
Resources
Federal Student Aid One-Time Student Loan Debt Relief - New information including the Application and After you Apply
Federal Student Loan Debt Relief Application
Public Service Announcement from the Office of Inspector General on Student Loan Forgiveness Scams
Identify Your Federal Student Loan Servicer
Department of Education Press Release
Federal Student Aid Student Debt Relief Plan Explained
Student Financial Services will continue to provide additional information as more details on the Student Loan Debt Relief Plan are announced.