Analyzing your situation…
Applying 2026 federal policy rules to your loan profile…
This usually takes 15–20 seconds on your first visit.
Current federal update: SAVE remains unavailable under the court actions. If you want the official status page or background, start with the SAVE guide.
Analyzing your situation…
Applying 2026 federal policy rules to your loan profile…
This usually takes 15–20 seconds on your first visit.
Common questions about student loan repayment, the 2026 policy changes, and how our assessment works.
The SAVE Plan was blocked by an 8th Circuit Court injunction in July 2024. Borrowers enrolled in SAVE are in administrative forbearance — payments are paused but do not count toward IDR or PSLF forgiveness. As of April 2026, the injunction remains in effect.
No. New enrollments in the SAVE Plan are currently blocked due to the court injunction. If you want an income-driven repayment plan, you can apply for IBR (Income-Based Repayment) or ICR (Income-Contingent Repayment).
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer (government agencies or 501(c)(3) nonprofits). Payments must be on a qualifying repayment plan (IBR, PAYE, ICR, or standard 10-year). SAVE forbearance payments do not count.
It depends on your loan types. FFEL loans and Perkins loans are not eligible for most income-driven repayment plans or PSLF without first consolidating into a Direct Consolidation Loan. However, consolidation can reset your qualifying payment count for forgiveness. Understand the trade-offs before consolidating.
Refinancing federal loans into private loans is irreversible. You permanently lose access to income-driven repayment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, federal forbearance, and any future federal forgiveness programs. Refinancing may make sense if you have private loans, a stable high income, and no need for federal protections. It is rarely the right choice for borrowers pursuing PSLF or IDR forgiveness.
Pending legislation may treat loans disbursed or consolidated on or after July 1, 2026 differently for certain repayment and forgiveness calculations. If you have loans disbursed before and after that date, the rules may apply differently to each portion. Check your loan details at studentaid.gov to confirm your disbursement dates.
Log in to studentaid.gov with your FSA ID. Under 'My Aid,' you can see all of your federal loans, their types (Direct, FFEL, Perkins), balances, and servicer information. Private loans will not appear there — check your credit report or contact your lender.
IDR forgiveness (Income-Driven Repayment forgiveness) forgives any remaining balance after 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments on an IDR plan. PSLF forgives the balance after 10 years (120 payments) but only if you work for a qualifying public service employer. PSLF forgiveness is tax-free; IDR forgiveness may be taxable.
Our assessment applies a deterministic rules engine to your loan situation and gives you a structured report: what applies to you, what to watch out for, and your options. The engine uses the federal eligibility criteria in effect as of the policy review date. It is not financial advice — it is a structured starting point for understanding your options.
If you're pursuing PSLF, you should switch to IBR immediately — SAVE forbearance months don't count toward your 120 payments. If you're not pursuing PSLF, you can wait for the injunction to resolve, since interest isn't accruing during the forbearance period. Either way, don't refinance to a private loan while making this decision.
Yes. You can request an IDR plan change through your loan servicer's website or at studentaid.gov. Processing typically takes 2-4 weeks. Your servicer will confirm your new payment amount based on your most recent tax return.
For new borrowers (first loan after July 1, 2014): 10% of discretionary income. For older borrowers: 15% of discretionary income. Discretionary income = your adjusted gross income minus 150% of the federal poverty line for your family size. If this calculation results in a payment higher than your standard 10-year payment, your payment is capped at the standard amount.
Qualifying employers include: all federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies; 501(c)(3) nonprofits; public schools and universities; public hospitals; AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. For-profit employers never qualify, even if they do public-benefit work. Some non-501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify if they provide certain public services — use the PSLF Help Tool at studentaid.gov to verify your employer.
No — FFEL loans do not directly qualify for PSLF. However, you can consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan, which does qualify. Note: consolidation typically resets your qualifying payment count, though the IDR Account Adjustment may credit some prior payments.
The IDR Account Adjustment was a one-time credit from the Department of Education that counted past periods of repayment, deferment, and forbearance toward IDR forgiveness and PSLF. Borrowers who consolidated FFEL loans may have received credit for payments made before consolidation. Check your payment count at your servicer or studentaid.gov.
Yes. IBR doesn't penalize extra payments. However, if you're pursuing PSLF or long-term IDR forgiveness, making extra payments reduces the balance that will eventually be forgiven — which may not be financially optimal. If your plan is PSLF or IDR forgiveness, paying the minimum makes more mathematical sense.
Your loan terms, interest rates, and qualifying payment history transfer with your loans. Your payment count is preserved. However, you should: (1) create an account with the new servicer, (2) update your autopay information, and (3) verify your payment count matches your records. Contact your new servicer if you notice any discrepancies.
Loan rehabilitation is a program that lets you get out of default by making 9 reasonable and affordable payments over 10 months. After completing rehabilitation, the default notation is removed from your credit report, and you regain access to IDR plans, PSLF, and federal student aid. Payments are based on 15% of your discretionary income — often very low.
Not directly. Parent PLUS Loans must first be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Once consolidated, they can enroll in ICR (Income-Contingent Repayment) and then qualify for PSLF. They cannot enroll in IBR or PAYE — only ICR.
It depends on the program. PSLF forgiveness is always 100% tax-free. IDR forgiveness (after 20 or 25 years) is generally taxable as ordinary income in the year you receive it — though this is subject to change by Congress. The American Rescue Plan Act temporarily excluded IDR forgiveness from taxation through 2025; the current treatment after 2025 should be verified with a tax professional.
The most reliable way is to use the PSLF Help Tool at studentaid.gov — it verifies your employer's EIN against the qualifying employer database. Generally: all government employers qualify; 501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify; for-profit employers never qualify. When in doubt, submit a paper Employer Certification Form for MOHELA to review.
Nothing happens immediately — your existing qualifying payments remain counted. If you leave a qualifying employer, you simply stop accumulating new qualifying payments. You can resume accumulating payments if you return to a qualifying employer. PSLF doesn't require continuous qualifying employment — just 120 qualifying payments total, spread across qualifying employment periods.
Our free assessment applies these rules to your specific loan situation.
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