UPDATE: Student Loan Debt Relief is On Hold

Posted 11/28/2022

You may be wondering what’s happening with the new one-time student loan debt relief. You’re not alone.

Current Status of Student Loan Debt Relief

Recent court decisions have blocked the Department of Education (ED) from accepting and processing applications for the one-time federal student loan debt relief program. ED has appealed the rulings seeking to overturn the orders.

Key Things to Know

If you already applied, your application is on hold until a final decision has been made. ED and Federal Student Aid (FSA) will send you updates as new information is available.
If you qualify but haven’t applied, you will need to wait until a final court decision is made. If the program is upheld, you will need to submit an application when it reopens.
The student loan payment pause is extended until the court cases have been resolved. Payments will resume 60 days after that. Borrowers will be notified before payments start.

Where to Get Updates

Make sure you have accurate and up to date information by subscribing to alerts from ED and FSA.

Misinformation spreads rapidly on the subject of student loan debt relief and the payment pause. Beware of any source that is not directing you to FSA or your loan servicer.

If you haven’t already, you should register for an online account with your loan servicer and confirm they have your current contact information. Your loan servicer will notify you if the debt relief is processed and when your monthly payments will start.

Beware of Scams

ED continues to warn borrowers to beware of scam attempts to take advantage of them.

Key things to remember:

Borrowers never have to pay to apply for or receive student loan relief from Federal Student Aid (FSA).
No one should ever ask for your account username or password information.
Official emails from FSA come from noreply@studentaid.gov.