FAFSA SAVE payment requests from Nelnet - I thought forbearance was automatic?

this happened to me too! nelnet sent me 3 emails in 2 weeks saying i needed to pay, but when i called they confirmed im still in forbearance. i think their system is glitching with the SAVE rollout. check ur actual account not just the email

This is definitely a known issue with Nelnet's system. Their payment notification emails are automatically generated and don't always sync correctly with the SAVE plan forbearance status. What matters is what your StudentAid.gov account shows - if that says forbearance, you're good. I recommend taking a screenshot of your forbearance status on StudentAid.gov just to have documentation. You could also request written confirmation from Nelnet that you're in forbearance through their secure messaging system on their website.

I work at a university financial aid office, and we've had several students report this exact issue with Nelnet specifically. Their system seems to be sending automated payment reminders even when accounts are in forbearance status. Here's what you need to know: 1. The SAVE plan did automatically place eligible borrowers in forbearance through July 2025 IF you qualified for $0 payments 2. Anyone with calculated payments above $0 may still have payments due, just potentially lower than before 3. Sometimes there's a lag between StudentAid.gov's status and your servicer's system I would recommend: - Double check that you specifically qualified for $0 payments under SAVE, not just enrollment in the program - Contact Nelnet directly (yes, it's a pain but necessary) - Request a formal forbearance confirmation letter for your records

The exact same thing happened to me last week - Nelnet email saying payment due, but StudentAid.gov showing forbearance. I tried for THREE DAYS to get through to Nelnet customer service - constant busy signals or disconnects after waiting for an hour+. Finally, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to them - there's a demo video that shows how it works https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Got connected in about 15 minutes and the agent confirmed it was just a system error on their end. She put a note in my account and sent me an email confirmation of my forbearance status.

This is why I absolutely HATE Nelnet! They've been pulling this nonsense since I was assigned to them in 2019. I'm on SAVE too and got the same payment due emails last month even though I'm 100% supposed to be in forbearance. According to the FSA website, ALL borrowers on the SAVE plan who were previously on REPAYE are supposed to be automatically placed in forbearance until July 2025 while they implement the full SAVE changes. But guess what? When I finally got through to Nelnet (after TWO HOURS on hold), they tried to tell me I had to submit a separate forbearance request! Completely false according to everything published about SAVE. I had to escalate to a supervisor and read them the actual policy from the Federal Student Aid website before they finally fixed it. Document EVERYTHING and don't trust a word they say.

this is y i switched from nelnet to mohela last year... nelnet ALWAYS has system issues. they told me i had to pay during covid pauses 2x when we literally werent supposed to be paying anything!!!

UPDATE FOR EVERYONE: There's now an official notice on StudentAid.gov about this issue. Apparently Nelnet had a system error affecting approximately 78,000 borrowers in the SAVE plan, sending incorrect payment notices. They're supposed to be sending out correction emails within the next 14 days. You can check the announcement section on StudentAid.gov for more details. If you're concerned about your specific account status, I still recommend getting written confirmation of your forbearance through Nelnet's messaging system or by phone.

Just to clarify one important point - not everyone on the SAVE plan automatically gets $0 payments or forbearance. Your payment amount under SAVE depends on your income, family size, and whether you have undergraduate or graduate loans. If your calculated payment under SAVE is $0, then yes, you should be in forbearance until July 2025. But if your income was high enough to generate a payment amount above $0, you would still have payments due (just potentially lower than before). So when checking with Nelnet, be sure to confirm not just that you're enrolled in SAVE, but specifically what your calculated payment amount is supposed to be under the plan.

I'm new to this community but going through the exact same nightmare! Just got off the phone with Nelnet after a 2-hour wait (thanks for the Claimyr tip @Fatima Al-Mansour - will definitely try that next time). The rep confirmed I'm in forbearance but couldn't explain why their system keeps sending payment due emails. She said it's a "known technical issue" they're working on. What's really frustrating is that I've gotten 4 different payment amounts in emails over the past month - $245, $387, $0, and then $156. How can they expect us to trust anything they send when their own system can't keep track? I'm documenting everything now but honestly losing sleep over this. @Jamal Washington with your income and family size you should definitely qualify for $0 - sounds like their system is just completely messed up right now. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress @Jamal Washington! I went through something similar with Nelnet earlier this year. Here's what I learned that might help: 1. The forbearance status on StudentAid.gov is what actually matters - if it shows forbearance, you're protected 2. Nelnet's automated email system is notorious for sending incorrect notices during plan transitions 3. When you do get through to them, ask for your account to be "flagged" to stop receiving automated payment reminders while in forbearance I also recommend setting up text alerts on your StudentAid.gov account so you get notified of any actual status changes. That way you'll know if something legitimately changes with your forbearance status. The good news is that with your income level and family size, you should absolutely qualify for $0 payments under SAVE. Don't let Nelnet's system glitches cause you to panic - you're doing everything right by checking your official status and asking questions here!

Hey @Jamal Washington! I just wanted to chime in as someone who's been dealing with student loan servicer issues for years - you're absolutely right to be confused and frustrated by this! I'm currently on the SAVE plan too and haven't gotten any payment requests from my servicer (Great Lakes), but I've seen so many posts about Nelnet specifically having these system glitches. It sounds like you're doing everything right by checking your StudentAid.gov account and asking questions here. One thing that might give you some peace of mind - I set up account monitoring through Credit Karma and Experian so I get alerts if anything hits my credit report. That way if there ever was a real issue (which it doesn't sound like there is in your case), I'd know immediately and could dispute it right away. Also, definitely take @Declan Ramirez's advice about flagging your account to stop the automated reminders. I did something similar with my servicer when I was getting confusing notices during the COVID payment pause and it made such a difference for my stress levels. You've got this! With your income and family situation, you're exactly the type of borrower the SAVE plan was designed to help.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same issue with Nelnet - got three different payment notices in the past two weeks even though my StudentAid.gov account clearly shows I'm in forbearance under SAVE. What really helped me was calling early in the morning (around 7:30 AM EST) when they first open - I got through in about 20 minutes instead of the usual hour+ wait times. The representative confirmed it's a widespread system error affecting thousands of SAVE plan borrowers and that they're working on a fix. For anyone still struggling to get through, I also recommend using their secure messaging system on the Nelnet website. It takes 1-2 business days to get a response, but at least you'll have written documentation of your inquiry and their response. I asked them to confirm my forbearance status in writing and got a detailed email back within 24 hours. @Jamal Washington - definitely don't panic! Your income and family size should absolutely qualify you for $0 payments. This is 100% a servicer system issue, not a problem with your actual loan status.

I'm new to this community but dealing with something very similar! I've been on the SAVE plan since February and just got a confusing email from Nelnet yesterday saying I owe $298 by next week. Like you, my StudentAid.gov account shows I'm in forbearance status, so I was completely panicked. Reading through everyone's responses here has been such a huge relief! It sounds like this is definitely a known issue with Nelnet's system sending incorrect automated payment notices to SAVE borrowers who should be in forbearance. I'm planning to try calling them early tomorrow morning (thanks for that tip @Justin Evans!) and will also send a message through their secure portal to get written confirmation. It's so frustrating that we have to deal with this stress when we're already struggling financially - that's exactly why programs like SAVE exist in the first place! @Jamal Washington - I hope you get this sorted out quickly. From everything people are saying here, it sounds like you're definitely entitled to $0 payments with your income and family situation. Stay strong!