FAFSA loan repayment options disappeared after IDR changes - seniors getting screwed?
Just got my updated SAI score and saw my monthly payment calculation jumped from $87 to $236 per month! I graduated in 2004 (yeah I'm old) and have been paying faithfully for nearly 20 years on income-based plans. I was counting on that loan forgiveness they promised for borrowers like me who've been paying forever. Now with all these FAFSA/IDR changes and political drama, it feels like they're just stringing us older borrowers along until we die. I called FSA four times this week trying to get answers about whether the 20+ year forgiveness plan is still happening. First call: disconnected after 47 minutes. Second call: rep had no idea what I was talking about. Third call: told me to "check the website" (which says nothing). Fourth call: told me something vague about "pending litigation." Has anyone actually gotten clear answers about what's happening with forgiveness for us older borrowers? My retirement planning is completely upended by these massive payment increases. Feeling totally abandoned by the system after two decades of payments.
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CyberSamurai
The whole student loan system is RIGGED against borrowers, especially seniors. I'm 58 and have been paying since 1997, and they just recalculated my payment from $103 to $289!!! Those promises about loan forgiveness after 20-25 years were LIES. My friend got her loans cancelled through PSLF but us regular people get NOTHING. They changed the rules on us mid-game!
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Andre Dubois
•It's criminal how they keep moving the goalposts! Did your servicer give you any explanation for the increase? Mine just sent a generic email with the new amount.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
There's still hope for borrowers who've been in repayment for 20+ years. Here's what's actually happening: The IDR Account Adjustment is still moving forward (separate from SAVE), but it's been delayed by legal challenges. The Department of Education is currently working on finalizing regulations for borrowers who've been in repayment for 20+ years. The best thing to do right now is: 1. Make sure your income certification is up-to-date 2. Document all your payment history (download statements) 3. File a complaint through the FSA Feedback Center if your servicer isn't answering questions 4. Check studentaid.gov for your official payment count (under loan details
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Andre Dubois
•Thank you for this clear explanation! I've been so confused with all the different programs and lawsuits. Do you know if there's any timeline for when they expect to implement the 20+ year forgiveness?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•The Department hasn't announced a specific timeline since the legal challenges, but based on their previous communications, they were aiming for late 2023/early 2024 implementation. Those dates have obviously passed. Currently they're saying they're still committed to the program but need to address the legal hurdles first.
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Jamal Carter
im in the samr boat. 19 years of payments and now my payments went way up. this is such bs. noone at the loan servicer knows anything either they just say "we're following the rules" which rules??!! the ones you make up??
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Andre Dubois
•Exactly! It's like talking to a wall. Did you try calling FSA directly instead of your servicer? It took me several attempts but I eventually got someone who at least acknowledged the issue.
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Mei Liu
I had the exact same problem and spent WEEKS trying to get through to anyone at FSA who could help. After being disconnected six times and spending over 8 hours on hold, I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I finally spoke with confirmed that the IDR Account Adjustment for long-term borrowers is still planned but implementation has been delayed due to the SAVE Plan litigation. She helped me file a formal review request for my case and gave me documentation about my payment history that I'll need for when the program resumes processing.
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Liam O'Donnell
•does this claimyr thing really work? ive never heard of it before sounds to good to be true
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Mei Liu
•Yes, it actually works. I was skeptical too, but after wasting so many hours on hold, I was desperate. They don't handle your case - they just get you through the phone system to a real person at FSA. The agent I talked to knew exactly what was happening with the IDR changes.
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Amara Nwosu
This is why I always tell people to avoid student loans at all costs. The government changes the terms whenever they want. I borrowed $42,000 in 1999 and now owe $97,000 despite making payments for 20+ years. The system is broken beyond repair.
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AstroExplorer
•While I understand your frustration, this advice isn't helpful for those of us already deeply in debt. The question is what we can do NOW with our existing loans, not whether we should have taken them 20+ years ago. Also, the IDR Account Adjustment program IS still happening - it's just delayed by legal challenges.
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Amara Nwosu
•Fair point. Didn't mean to come across as unhelpful. For current borrowers, document EVERYTHING. I learned the hard way that servicers lose payment records all the time. And contact your representatives - the only reason we've seen any movement on this issue is because of voter pressure.
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AstroExplorer
There's a lot of misinformation going around about the IDR Account Adjustment. To clarify: 1. The SAVE Plan and Biden's one-time forgiveness were affected by Supreme Court and 8th Circuit rulings 2. The IDR Account Adjustment (for long-term borrowers) is a SEPARATE initiative that's still moving forward 3. Implementation has been delayed, but NOT cancelled 4. Many borrowers are seeing payment increases because the old IDR plans had different calculation formulas than the new ones I recommend checking the StudentAid.gov announcements page weekly for updates. You can also submit your case to the FSA Ombudsman if you believe your payment count is incorrect.
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CyberSamurai
•But WHY is implementation delayed? They announced this program OVER A YEAR AGO and still haven't forgiven a single loan for those of us at 20+ years! It's all talk and no action.
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AstroExplorer
•The primary delay is due to the legal challenges to other debt relief programs. DOE is being very careful with implementation to ensure it survives legal scrutiny. They've also had significant staffing and system issues trying to implement multiple programs simultaneously. Not defending the delays, just explaining the reasons.
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Giovanni Moretti
Back in my day we paid our loans and didn't expect handouts. I had $15,000 in loans in 1975 and paid them off in 5 years by working hard and not buying coffee every day.
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CyberSamurai
•Oh please. Average tuition in 1975 was about $2,500/year. Today it's over $35,000/year. Minimum wage then had much higher purchasing power. We're not asking for handouts - we've been PAYING for 20+ years and were promised forgiveness after that time under the original loan terms.
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Andre Dubois
•Exactly. I've already paid back more than double what I borrowed originally. This isn't about "handouts" - it's about the government changing loan terms after decades of payments.
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Liam O'Donnell
im confused about all this... does this mean we should stop making payments until they figure it out? i cant afford the new payment amount
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Definitely DON'T stop making payments - that would put you into default and make you ineligible for forgiveness programs. If you can't afford your new payment, immediately apply for a recalculation based on income or request a deferment/forbearance while you sort things out.
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Liam O'Donnell
•thx for the advice. ill call them tomorrow to try to get a lower payment
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Mei Liu
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with FSA after using Claimyr to get through. The agent confirmed that the IDR Account Adjustment for borrowers in repayment for 20+ years IS still happening, but implementation is delayed until after the litigation around the SAVE plan is resolved. She said they're still identifying eligible accounts and if you've truly been making payments for 20+ years, you should still qualify once they restart the program. She suggested making sure all your contact information is updated on studentaid.gov so you receive notifications when the program resumes.
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Andre Dubois
•That's such a relief to hear! Thank you for sharing this update. Did they give any indication of timeline for when they might resume processing forgiveness for us long-term borrowers?
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Mei Liu
•They wouldn't commit to any specific dates, unfortunately. The agent said they're waiting for "legal clarity" before announcing new timelines. She did say they've already identified most eligible accounts, so once they get the green light, processing should move relatively quickly.
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