FAFSA loan repayment timeline confusion - December 2025 first payment date makes no sense?

wait, did he get covid-era loans? they had special rules. my brother had something similar happen but it turned out his entire loan was on some extended deferment program

This actually makes perfect sense given recent Department of Education announcements. What you're seeing is related to the SAVE repayment plan implementation timeline. Many federal student loan servicers are showing extended deferment dates while the new income-driven repayment systems are being fully implemented. The December 2025 date is likely a placeholder until your son's actual repayment terms are calculated under the new plan. I'd recommend having him log into his studentaid.gov account to verify his actual loan status and see what repayment plans are available. He might qualify for more favorable terms under SAVE versus the old plans.

YOUR SON SHOULD CALL AND VERIFY THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!! Don't trust the online systems - they're NOTORIOUS for glitches. My daughter's loans showed a similar weird date and it turned out to be a system error. She was actually accruing interest the whole time thinking she was in deferment!!! The loan servicers are TERRIBLE about communicating changes. Make him call TODAY and get written confirmation of his actual first payment date and current status!!!!

I work in financial aid at a university, and I can confirm what others have mentioned about the extended timelines. The Department of Education has been implementing the new SAVE plan in phases, with full implementation scheduled throughout 2024-2025. Many borrowers are seeing these extended dates while the system transitions. However, it's still best practice to verify directly with the loan servicer rather than assuming the online portal is accurate. Your son should definitely contact his loan servicer to confirm his status and understand his options. While the date might be correct, it's also worth checking if he's been automatically enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan or if there's additional paperwork he needs to complete. Different loan types (Direct, PLUS, etc.) may also have different timelines and requirements.

Update: Thank you everyone for your help! We finally got through to his loan servicer today. Turns out it IS related to the SAVE plan implementation. His loans are currently in an administrative forbearance while they process his application for the new repayment plan. The December 2025 date IS incorrect though - it's just a placeholder in their system. His actual repayment will likely start in October of this year. The representative said many borrowers are seeing these weird dates while they update their systems. So relieved to have this figured out!

glad u got it figured out! this reminds me of when my FAFSA got all messed up cause they couldn't verify my parents income and I ended up with no aid for a whole semester. I hate how complicated they make everything!!

Great to hear you got it resolved! For anyone else seeing strange dates in their loan portal, here's a quick checklist: 1. Always verify directly with your loan servicer by phone 2. Check if you've been automatically enrolled in any new repayment plans 3. Confirm if your loans are in administrative forbearance during system updates 4. Make sure your contact information is updated so you receive notifications 5. Consider setting up autopay once your actual repayment date is confirmed (often comes with a 0.25% interest rate reduction) The transition to the SAVE plan is creating a lot of temporary confusion, but most borrowers will benefit from the new terms once everything is implemented.

To answer your question about making voluntary payments during forbearance - it's generally a good financial move, especially if your son can afford it. During most administrative forbearances, interest isn't accruing, so any payments made go directly toward reducing the principal balance. This can save significant money in the long run since he'll have less principal to accrue interest once regular repayment begins. Just make sure he keeps documentation of all voluntary payments made. Sometimes these don't get properly recorded during administrative periods, so keeping your own records is essential. Also, he should specify with the servicer that he wants these payments applied to principal rather than just advancing future payment due dates.