What happened to the IDR application?
Last Friday (2/21/2025), the Department of Education (ED) took down the electronic applications for all income-driven repayment (IDR) plans and consolidations. This week (2/25/2025), they also removed the paper/PDF applications for IDR plans.
ED cites a ruling from the 8th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals last week. The court affirmed the injunction of SAVE and laid the groundwork for repealing the entire plan and also called into question the authority of the Department of Education (ED) to forgive loans under the ED-created plans: ICR, PAYE, and SAVE/REPAYE.
According to reporting from the Washington Post, loan servicers have been told to pause processing of all new and prior applications, including recertifications for at least 90 days. In removing all of the applications, ED effectively blocked IBR and PSLF, which should not have been affected by the recent court ruling.
While the recent injunction significantly threatens SAVE and questions the forgiveness provisions for ICR, PAYE, and REPAYE, IBR and PSLF are still explicitly permitted by law. Theoretically, you should be able to apply for IBR and still receive IBR forgiveness or PSLF forgiveness while continuing to make qualifying payments. Practically, that could be a different story, at least in the short term.
I’m using an IDR now. What should I do?
Previously, when applications have been paused, borrowers have received a forbearance or some kind of pause on payments or interest. The only pause on payments or interest available now is for folks in the SAVE general forbearance.
For those in the SAVE general forbearance, you’re still not required to renew your income information until at least 2026. However, depending on your Anniversary Date, be prepared for some kind of payment notice from your loan servicer if your recertification has not been pushed into 2026.
If you’re using another IDR (ICR, PAYE, IBR), watch your loans carefully for changes and check your Anniversary Dates. You can check your IDR Anniversary Dates in the VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool.
It’s not clear what happens to borrowers using IDR plans where their Anniversary Dates have recently passed or will pass during the pause. Watch for changes in your student on studentaid.gov under your My Activity section or your loan servicer portal. Make sure your contact information is up to date in your studentaid.gov and your loan servicer accounts to receive any communications regarding your loans.
Expert Tip: Turn off Autopay
Consider deactivating your autopay feature with your loan servicer if you’re using it. Since we don’t know what is going to happen with loans in the coming months, you may not want your loan servicer to automatically process a higher payment than you’re expecting.
IBR is a special use case. If you’re in IBR 2009 or IBR 2014 now and your Anniversary Date is approaching, I recommend submitting your recertification information manually. We have a copy of the IDR application available in the WikiDebt section of the Student Debt Center.
Your loan servicer may reject or ignore applications during the pause, but it could be worth a shot, particularly if you’re in IBR 2009 or IBR 2014 now and your Anniversary Date is approaching.
Unlike other IDRs, the IBRs can result in unpaid interest capitalization if your updated income information is not processed on time. If you submit your required renewal paperwork at least 35 days before your Anniversary Date, you might be able to get any unpaid interest capitalization reversed after this pause ends. Make sure you can prove that it was their fault and not yours for not processing the recertification on time.
Listen to the recent Veterinary Pulse Podcast on Student Loan Repayment:
Low-income or high monthly student loan payment scenarios
If you experience low or no income, or a monthly student loan payment that is greater than 20% of your taxable income, you can request a deferment or forbearance.
Forbearance and deferment requests have mostly been obsolete with access to income-driven repayment plans. However, since applying for IDRs or updating your payment for an IDR is blocked, a deferment or forbearance request could be your only option to pause your monthly student loan payments.
Unpaid interest will continue to accrue during deferment or forbearance and could be added to your principal once your payment relief ends.
Here are two types of requests that may help you during periods of low income or if your monthly payment seems higher than your budget will allow:
- Economic Hardship Deferment: To be eligible, your current or recent AGI must be less than 150% of the federal poverty guidelines for your family size and state of residence. Eligible for up to 36 months. Unpaid interest will capitalize when you leave this deferment.
- Student Loan Debt Burden Forbearance: To be eligible, your monthly student loan payment must be more than 20% of your monthly taxable income. This forbearance is granted in 12-month increments. Maximum eligibility is 36 months.
There are also other types of deferment and forbearance requests. Review the Library of Federal Student Aid Forms for more information.
Expert tip: Document everything you can
- Log in to studentaid.gov, get a new student aid data file, and upload to the VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool
- Grab any PDFs or documentation from your My Activity section in your studentaid.gov dashboard
- If you use an income-driven plan and see an “IDR End of Payment Term” module, grab a copy of your payment history using the new VIN Foundation Download My IDR Progress browser extension.
- If you use an income-driven plan but do not see an “IDR End of Payment Term” module, log in to studentaid.gov and try entering the IDR forgiveness URL into your browser: https://studentaid.gov/aid-summary/idr-loan-forgiveness
- If you do not use an income-driven plan and want to see your forgiveness count, log in to studentaid.gov and enter the payment count API link in your browser
- Download or request copies of statements, histories, and communications from your loan servicer(s)
Consolidation applications must be submitted manually
The electronic consolidation application is also down. However, the manual consolidation application is still available. Hold off on submitting consolidation applications during the pause.
Chances are no matter what repayment plan you apply for during your consolidation, you will likely end up in a standard consolidation plan. If you can get a lower payment that is forgiveness-eligible, then wait to consolidate or apply for an income-driven plan after the pause ends.
Student loan servicer communication is more confusing than usual
Always check the accuracy of what your loan servicers are telling you. Follow discussions on the VIN Foundation Student Debt Message Boards to get help or post questions about what you’ve been told. Any veterinarian has free access to the Student Debt Message Boards via VIN or VIN Foundation.
Whenever you hear something strange from a loan servicer, it’s time to check a new student aid file in the VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool. If it’s been a while (a month or more) since you last checked, it’s time to check again!
Did you miss the recent VIN Foundation Climbing Mt. Debt Webinar?
- Full webinar recording
- Presentation slides that we covered and many that we did not
- A summary Q&A post from the live session
- How to get the NEW VIN Foundation Download My IDR Progress browser extension for Chrome
Lost? Confused? We're here to help!
If you’re confused (it’s hard not to be right now), ask questions. Ignoring your student loans is never a good strategy.
If you need student debt help, reach out to VIN and VIN Foundation. We have free online tools like the VIN Foundation Student Debt Center and special message board areas to help you make sense of your options.
You can ask questions on the student debt message board or submit a Student Debt & Income “Signalment” form and we’ll create a new anonymous post to review your loans with you.
If you have questions on any of the available tools and options, reach out to studentdebt@vinfoundation.org.
We’re here to help!
Dr. Tony Bartels graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and a VIN Foundation Board member. He and his wife have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation initiatives.
9 thoughts on “All IDR applications for student loans are paused – Now what?”
I am extremely thankful for Dr. Bartels’ work. Thank you for your thoughtful information. I can tell you care so much about all of us. Your commitment and dedication does not go unnoticed!
Very kind of you to say 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to post your comment, Kim!
As someone who is currently on SAVE, do you recommend applying for IBR with the pdf form to “get in the processing line” so to speak? Or is this a waste of time given that new forms are likely set to be released?
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If I were to be denied the switch, are there repercussions? Or would I just continue to be on SAVE?
Thank you SO much for all that you do! You and your team are making a huge difference in the midst of a super confusing and scary time. I couldn’t be more grateful!
Thanks for posting your comment, Grace! And for the kind words 🙂
If you are in the SAVE general forbearance right now, I would not recommend submitting an IBR application to “get in the processing line.” The SAVE forbearance is about the best place your loans can be right now. There are certain exceptions to that for those who are very close to reach forgiveness (either IDR or PSLF), but it’s extremely difficult to get into any other forgiveness-eligible plan right now.
Chances are, if you submit an IDR plan change request right now via PDF, your loan servicer will ignore it or reject it. There shouldn’t be any repercussions if you were denied a switch, but it’s hard to know exactly what will happen since loan servicers seem to be making up rules as they go along. Again, the safest bet right now is to stick with the SAVE forbearance until we know more or until you’re no longer allowed to remain in the SAVE forbearance. Stay tuned for updates and watch your loan servicers closely for any changes to your loans.
Hope that helps! Good luck 🙂
Hello,
Thank you for such helpful information! My loans have been in IBR with the PAYE plan since 2015. I recertified last year in July 2024 with a decrease in income and change in family size because I had my first child. That application was never processed due to the pauses and the application was put in as though I was applying to have the smallest payment and not keeping me in the PAYE plan. After speaking with my Loan servicing company several times they recommended that I put in a new application to continue on in the PAYE plan. This was completed at the beginning of February 2025, I also had my 2024 W-2 that I could add to show the decrease in my income. Currently this application is “in review” and it is my understanding that review of the applications has been paused at this time. My loans are currently in an administrative forbearance for processing of the application. Just wanted to see if there was any advice about my next course of action? Thank you!!
Hi Imani,
Thanks for posting your comment! Congratulations on your first family addition 😊 Your report is a common one, unfortunately. Getting the student loan repayment system up and running again after the pandemic forbearance period has been bumpy to say the least. And with all of the changes and court interventions, it’s nearly impossible to expect any certainty or reliability.
I think you have done everything you can at this time. Keep a close eye on your application. Look for any changes to the application status. Also make sure all your contact information is up to date with studentaid.gov and your loan servicer. You want to be sure to receive any/all communications they may send you.
Forbearance is a fine place to be right now with all of the uncertainty. However, sometimes they will end those with little notice. Document everything you have done so far and look for anything unexpected in your accounts. I would also encourage you to reach out to your Congressional representatives and share your experience. They can sometimes (if they are willing) get more information on your loan status than your loan servicers can. Hope that helps! Good luck 😊
Are paper IDR applications still also being accepted and processed?
Hi Amy,
It’s a great question. Thanks for posting! According to the Dept of ED, no IDR applications are being accepted or processed. Some of the loan servicers have been telling some folks that they still can submit a paper/PDF application. But it’s hard to know if they are actually accepting them or what they are doing with them if you do send one in. As I mentioned in the blog post, I wouldn’t submit an IDR application right now UNLESS 1) you’re currently using income-based repayment (IBR 2009 or IBR 2014) and you’re due to recertify your income during this pause. Because you can see unpaid interest capitalized (added to your principal) if you fail to recertify your IBR plan documentation on time, I would prefer to document that I tried to comply with the recertification requirements then not for IBR, specifically; 2) You’re really close to reaching PSLF and you want to get your loans into IBR to get across the PSLF finish line. We do have an IDR application available in the WikiDebt resource library if you want to try. You might include a letter with your documentation that states your intentions as well (trying to comply with recertification requirements, or trying to continue making PSLF qualifying payments). Make sure you document when you sent it and when it was received by your loan servicer. If you send it via post mail, choose certified mail so you have that documentation of receipt.
Thank you so much for the amazing work you are doing to keep us informed and provide guidance. It’s invaluable, especially during times like these!