Student Loan Forgiveness Under IBR Suspended—Here’s What Borrowers Should Know
Hey everyone, here’s something big happening right now in the world of student loans that you absolutely need to be aware of. The Department of Education has officially paused student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment plan—better known as IBR. And the news is catching many borrowers off guard, especially those who were right at the finish line, expecting their loans to be forgiven.
So let me break it down. The IBR plan is one of the major income-driven repayment options available to federal student loan borrowers. It’s been around for years, and unlike the newer SAVE plan or others like PAYE and ICR, IBR was created by Congress. That means it has solid legal grounding, and right now, it’s the only plan not tied up in court battles.
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Despite that, the Department of Education announced that forgiveness under IBR is being paused temporarily due to "system updates." Now, that’s pretty vague, right? According to the department, they need time to adjust their systems to accurately track qualifying payments, particularly those months that might be affected by ongoing legal battles over other plans like SAVE. But here’s the kicker—those court rulings do not apply to IBR. No judge has blocked forgiveness under IBR. No court has ordered this pause. So, many borrowers—and even some former department officials—are raising serious questions about what’s really going on.
Some are calling this move a way to sidestep responsibilities, while others see it as a technical delay wrapped in bureaucratic red tape. Either way, the people paying the price are the borrowers who’ve done everything right, hit their 20- or 25-year repayment mark, and are now being told to wait—again.
Now, if you're one of those borrowers, your options are limited but important. You can keep making payments under IBR—just know that if you’ve already hit the forgiveness threshold, any extra payments may be refundable eventually . Or, you could request a forbearance to stop payments temporarily, but beware—interest continues to accrue. It's a frustrating spot to be in, especially since the law is technically on your side.
This all comes at a time when the student loan system is already under pressure. There’s a backlog of over 1.5 million IDR applications still pending, and recent legislative changes—including President Trump’s newly signed “Big, Beautiful Bill”—are rewriting the future of student loan repayment. IBR will stick around for now, but a new program called RAP is on the way, and it won’t offer forgiveness until after 30 years of payments.
So, while forgiveness under IBR should be happening right now for some borrowers, it’s been paused indefinitely. The official word is that it’ll resume once the system updates are done—but there’s no clear timeline.
If this affects you, stay connected with your loan servicer, monitor official updates from the Department of Education, and don’t be afraid to reach out to legal aid or borrower advocacy groups. This pause might feel like a delay—but with enough pressure and attention, it doesn't have to become a dead end.
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