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AI Still Falls Short On Student Loan Forgiveness Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

Public Service Loan Forgiveness is one of the most sought-after federal student loan forgiveness programs, promising debt cancellation after 120 qualifying payments for borrowers who work in government or nonprofit jobs.

But this program has also been plagued by years of confusion, regulatory changes, and uneven implementation. The whiplash for some borrowers has been intense. With AI growing in popularity, some student loan borrowers are using it to get answers to technical questions.

But can AI actually be trusted to explain a program as complex as PSLF?

To find out, we posed a series of questions to four leading AI platforms (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity) ranging from the most basic definition of PSLF to more detailed scenarios. While all four tools correctly explained the basics, most stumbled when asked about nuanced issues such as whether the SAVE plan’s administrative forbearance counts toward forgiveness, whether the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) qualifies, and whether a borrower’s loan must be serviced by MOHELA.

The results show that AI may be useful for simple answers but cannot yet replace official resources or expert guidance when it comes to navigating student loan forgiveness.

Is Student Loan Forgiveness Processing Paused? Aug 30, 2025

Show notes

As student loan borrowers brace for the full impact of the OBBBA to take effect, questions are swirling about whether forgiveness has been completely suspended across the board. Some headlines suggest that no one is getting debt relief. The reality is more complicated.

Whether student loan forgiveness is processing or not depends on the loan forgiveness program you're waiting on.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is still processing applications, even as a PSLF buyback backlog grows. The Income-Based Repayment plan, or IBR, is temporarily paused for "system updates", but not due to a court order. Student loan forgiveness under SAVE, PAYE, and ICR is blocked by a federal injunction. And even disability discharge is delayed for system updates.

The fact that so many issues are arising around student loan forgiveness processing is leading many to question what's happening. Are "system updates" really happening, or is the new administration slow-walking their legal mandates to provide loan forgiveness for eligible borrowers? It's concerning a lot of borrowers.

Student Loan Servicer Changes Coming Soon Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

The Department of Education has confirmed that it will transfer an unspecified number of student loan accounts away from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, better known as MOHELA, by the end of the year. This was revealed in a letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren (PDF File), who was asking for information from the Department of Education about the current status of repayment and forgiveness programs.

While the department has not provided details about how many accounts will move or which servicers will take them, officials did say that this will include some of the PSLF portfolio. “FSA is prioritizing efforts to improve customer service,” Sarah Ursprung, Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, wrote in a letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren.

For borrowers, the news brings both relief and apprehension. A change in servicer might resolve long-standing frustrations, but the process of transferring accounts has often been messy in the past.

SAVE Student Loan Plan Timeline Estimates: What To Expect Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

The future of student loan repayment for SAVE borrowers is now caught between a pending court ruling and how quickly the Department of Education can execute on the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that just passed.

Borrowers in administrative forbearance under the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) plan know the future now, but they don't know when. The OBBB makes it clear that borrowers in the SAVE forbearance will migrate to amended IBR, or have an option to enroll in the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) in 2026. But the question as to when remains.

When will the SAVE forbearance officially end and borrowers be required to make payments again? Note: This isn't about interest accruing - that's starting back on August 1 and no payments are still due. This is about when payments may resume.

Several scenarios are on table for SAVE repayment resuming

ED forces SAVE borrowers into repayment before July 2026: The Department of Education could return borrowers to repayment as soon as December 2025, then still force them to move repayment plans between July 2026 and June 2028.
The Department of Education keeps borrowers in forbearance until migration in mid-2026: The Department of Education simply migrates all borrowers on SAVE to amended IBR by July 2026, coinciding with the RAP plan beginning.
Other Timelines: Literally any timeline could happen between December 2025 and June 2028. But it would be rare to keep borrowers in forbearance until 2028, and logistically it would be a nightmare for loan servicers NOT to coordinate with the other changes happening.

The fastest option could see payments start again is the very end of 2025, though it's the least likely, because SAVE is enjoined they cannot simply restart SAVE payments. Our opinion is the highest probability of payments resuming is mid-2026 for SAVE plan borrowers.

Here's a more in-depth look at these three scenarios.

GOP Memo Seeks End To Public Service Loan Forgiveness Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

Barely weeks after Republicans secured passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) is calling for a follow-up effort. Its memo, circulated among congressional staff, recommends that lawmakers use another reconciliation package to reshape parts of higher education and financial regulation. This comes after a House member announced a working group to explore another bill.

The group’s proposals include creating a new family savings account, fully defunding the CFPB, and eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), a program that forgives federal student loan debt for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments.

Supporters of the push are calling it “OBBBA 2.0,” positioning it as an extension of the first package, which was framed by Republicans as a landmark fiscal and cultural win. But the think tank’s ideas face procedural and legal barriers.

Dept of Education Bars Work Study From Voter Registration Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

The Department of Education has issued new guidance (PDF File) clarifying how colleges should use Federal Work Study (FWS) funds. The updated guidelines emphasize placing students in jobs that offer hands-on, career-relevant experience tied to their studies, while prohibiting the use of FWS wages for voter registration or election-related activities.

The FWS program, created to provide part-time employment for students with financial need, has long given institutions discretion in shaping job opportunities. As recently as 2024, the Department of Education allowed colleges to use FWS employment for voter registration drives or other non-partisan political activity.

But the new Dear Colleague letter rescinds the previous directives, and makes clear that federal officials expect schools to connect students with work that helps build skills and experience for future employment.

How Do College Meal Plans Work? Aug 24, 2025

Show notes

College meal plans are a way to prepay for your meals while on campus. This can be a convenient way to get food, as most college dorm rooms do not have kitchens.

Depending on the college, they may offer a variety of different college meal plans, ranging from pay as you go to an all-inclusive meal plan that covers all of your meals.

However, meal plans are an added expense, so understanding how college meal plans work and whether or not your student will use it is key.

How To Find Free Community College And Save Money Aug 23, 2025

Show notes

Free community college is currently offered to some or all students in 33 states.

With college costs and student debt on the rise, students and their parents need to think about ways to cut the overall cost of higher education.

Even if a student wants to attend a four-year university, starting at a two-year university can conservatively lead to five-figure savings. Students who decide against earning a bachelor’s degree can gain a credential (associate’s degree) while spending less time and money than they would in a traditional public university.

However, even some community colleges are now offering bachelor's degrees to compete against 4-year schools.

Whether a student’s goal is to start a career as soon as possible or to earn a bachelor’s degree and beyond, using community college to save money and get ahead can be a smart move. In fact, attending a two-year college may be the most broadly-accessible method to reduce costs while still getting a head start on education.

Best Student Loan Alternatives Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

Being a college student may require you to figure out ways to pay for school without taking on a huge amount of debt. Perhaps it means working part-time or longer hours in the summer. It may entail researching for scholarships and grants. Some students use the GI Bill to cover the costs after deployment.

It's a challenge to cover your tuition and living expenses when you’re a college student on a budget. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average public university loan student borrowed $31,410 to complete their degree.

Using federal loans to pay for a university education may seem like the only answer, but those loans usually have to be repaid. Plus, many people (including international students and people with DACA status) aren’t eligible to fill out the FAFSA.

How To Fill Out The FAFSA For Divorced Parents Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form that needs to be filled out for you to receive financial aid from the government for college. But filling out the FAFSA for divorced parents isn't always straightforward.

The FAFSA is set to launch on October 1, and this year marks the second year that parents and students will experience the simplified FAFSA.

The simplified FAFSA cuts down on the number of questions asked, allows you to directly transfer information from your tax returns, and it uses a new “Student Aid Index” instead of the complex Expected Family Contribution.

Divorced parents may see some big changes when they complete the next FAFSA. In this article, I'll explain what divorced parents need to know when it comes to completing the FAFSA.

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