The student loan system is in chaos. Programs are changing, official tools are broken, and borrowers are left in the dark. We're here to help you understand your options with free, accurate, no-nonsense guidance.
Answer a few questions to get personalized guidance.
Are you currently in the SAVE Administrative Forbearance?
Do you work for the government or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit?
How long have you been making payments on your federal student loans?
You're in the SAVE forbearance trap. Interest is accruing and these months don't count toward forgiveness. You need to switch to IBR or PAYE immediately.
Read the SAVE Escape GuidePublic Service Loan Forgiveness offers complete, tax-free forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments. But there are critical mistakes to avoid.
Learn About PSLF PitfallsAfter 20-25 years of income-driven payments, your remaining balance can be forgiven. The official tracker is broken, but forgiveness is real and being processed.
Learn About IDR ForgivenessYou're building toward forgiveness. Make sure you're on the best income-driven plan and understand the upcoming changes before July 2026.
Compare IDR PlansYou're early in your repayment journey. The July 2026 deadline may affect you if you plan to take additional loans. Learn how to protect your options.
Learn About the 2026 Cliff7.7 million borrowers are currently trapped in the SAVE forbearance. Here's what you need to know:
Your move: Apply to switch to IBR or PAYE immediately to resume making qualifying payments. Don't wait.
The student loan landscape changed dramatically in 2025. Here's the unvarnished truth.
The SAVE plan is enjoined by courts and legislatively eliminated as of July 2028. No new enrollments are being accepted. If you were on SAVE, you've been moved to an administrative forbearance that's costing you money and progress.
The Department of Education's IDR payment tracker went offline in April 2025 and still isn't working. Their Loan Simulator is admittedly out of date. You're essentially flying blind without third-party help.
A new rule effective July 1, 2026 adds a "substantial illegal purpose" test to employer eligibility. A coalition of 22 state Attorneys General are suing to block it. Uncertainty is the new normal.
After July 1, 2026, new borrowers only get access to the new RAP plan: 30-year repayment (vs. 20-25), payments based on gross income, and no income protection. The clock is ticking if you have existing loans to consolidate.
Despite the chaos, these forgiveness programs remain active and available. All applications are free through official channels.
After legal challenges, the Department of Education has agreed to resume processing long-term forgiveness for borrowers who've completed 20 or 25 years of payments on IBR, PAYE, or ICR plans.
Tax-free forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for government or 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Still active, though employer rules are changing in 2026.
PSLF Help ToolIBR, PAYE, and ICR plans cap payments at a percentage of your income and forgive remaining balances after 20-25 years. Currently accepting applications.
Apply for IDRUp to $17,500 for highly qualified STEM or special ed teachers, or $5,000 for others, after 5 consecutive years in a low-income school.
Teacher GuideWere you defrauded by your school? You may qualify for full discharge. Recent group discharges include Ashford University ($4.5B for 261,000 borrowers).
File a ClaimIf you have a disability that prevents you from working, you may qualify for complete discharge. Requires physician certification or SSA/VA documentation.
Check EligibilityIf your school closed while you were enrolled (or within 180 days of withdrawal), you may be eligible for full discharge of your loans.
Check EligibilityUp to $50,000 (or $100,000 in rural areas) for physicians, NPs, PAs, dentists, and mental health providers serving in Health Professional Shortage Areas.
NHSC ProgramsPays up to 85% of unpaid nursing education debt for RNs, APRNs, and nurse faculty working in Critical Shortage Facilities or nursing schools.
Nurse GuideMissing these dates could cost you thousands—or your entire forgiveness eligibility.
IDR forgiveness processed after this date may be taxable as income. If you're close to 20/25 years, confirm your eligibility date with your servicer ASAP.
New "substantial illegal purpose" employer restrictions begin. If you work for certain nonprofits (immigration services, healthcare with gender-affirming care), verify your employer status before this date.
Any loans taken after this date are only eligible for the new 30-year RAP plan. If you have existing loans, consider consolidating before this date to lock in legacy IDR benefits.
These plans are legislatively terminated. If you're on one of these, you'll need to switch to IBR (the only legacy plan surviving) or the new RAP.
These errors are devastatingly common—and often irreversible. Read carefully.
This is the most common and devastating mistake borrowers make:
Fatal Mistake #1: If you already have Direct Loans and consolidate them unnecessarily, your PSLF payment clock resets to ZERO. Years of progress—gone.
Fatal Mistake #2: If you have older FFEL or Perkins loans and DON'T consolidate them, your payments on those loans will never count for PSLF.
The rule: Check your loan types on StudentAid.gov. If they're already Direct Loans, don't consolidate. If they're FFEL or Perkins, you MUST consolidate. Read the full guide →
If you're pursuing forgiveness, paying more than your required monthly payment provides zero benefit. It doesn't speed up your 120-payment timeline. It's just wasted money.
Submit the Employment Certification Form annually (or when changing jobs). Otherwise you might discover after 10 years that your payments didn't qualify.
If you're a contracted employee (like some physicians), use the EIN of the qualifying 501(c)(3)—not your payroll provider. Wrong EIN = rejected certification.
Every month you stay in SAVE forbearance is a month of accruing interest with zero progress toward forgiveness. Switch to IBR or PAYE now.
Confusion creates opportunity for predators. Know the warning signs.
Scammers are using the real news that SAVE is ending to push borrowers into private loan consolidation. This is a trap.
If you consolidate your federal loans into a private loan, you become permanently and irrevocably ineligible for ALL federal forgiveness programs—PSLF, IDR forgiveness, Borrower Defense, TPD discharge. Forever.
The truth: SAVE is ending, but IBR and PAYE are still available. You have federal options. Never go private. Read more →
If you've been targeted by a student loan scam, report it to the FTC, your state's Attorney General, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
If you're in the SAVE Administrative Forbearance, interest has been accruing since August 1, 2025. Initially, this forbearance was interest-free, but a February 2025 court ruling ended that protection. This is why it's critical to switch to a different IDR plan like IBR or PAYE—you'll make qualifying payments AND may get interest benefits depending on the plan.
The Department of Education's IDR payment tracker went offline in April 2025 and hasn't been restored. Your best option is to contact your loan servicer directly and request a written statement of your qualifying payment count. Keep records of everything. Read our full guide →
Apply to switch to IBR (Income-Based Repayment) or PAYE (Pay As You Earn) immediately. Both plans qualify for PSLF. The key is getting out of the SAVE forbearance, which doesn't count toward your 120 payments. Apply at studentaid.gov/idr.
Yes. After legal challenges and an AFT lawsuit settlement, the Department of Education resumed processing 20/25-year forgiveness. Borrowers are receiving forgiveness, though processing times vary. Read our IDR Forgiveness guide →
Functionally, they all mean you no longer have to pay. The terms are often used interchangeably, but generally: "Forgiveness" typically applies to programs where you fulfill a service requirement (like PSLF or Teacher Loan Forgiveness). "Cancellation" often refers to IDR forgiveness after 20-25 years. "Discharge" usually applies to situations like school closure, disability, or fraud (Borrower Defense). The outcome is the same—your debt is eliminated.
Until July 1, 2026, the rules haven't changed: government employers and 501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify. After that date, a new rule adds a "substantial illegal purpose" test that could exclude certain organizations. Read our full employer eligibility guide →
Bookmark these. They're free, official, and the only places you should be submitting applications.