Student loan forgiveness IBR: Why relief is delayed, and what you can do now

Economic Times

3 days ago

AP
The U.S. Education Department has paused student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, despite no legal barriers preventing it. Borrowers who've completed their repayment term are left in limbo as the department cites vague 'system updates' for the delay. (Representative Image)
The US Department of Education has quietly paused student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, a move that has surprised many, given that IBR is the only major income-driven repayment plan not affected by ongoing legal battles. While other plans like SAVE, PAYE, and ICR are currently blocked due to federal court injunctions, IBR was created by Congress and explicitly authorizes loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments.
Also Read: How rich was Malcolm-Jamal Warner? Inside the late actor's career earnings and net worth Despite this legal clarity, thousands of eligible borrowers who have reached their forgiveness milestone have found their relief stalled with no clear explanation. This sudden pause comes amid overall disruption in the federal student loan system, marked by massive processing delays, legal uncertainty, and significant policy shifts under the Trump administration.
The Education Department has attributed the IBR freeze to 'system updates' in response to the SAVE-related court rulings, but critics and legal experts argue that no such updates should interfere with IBR discharges.
The IBR plan is one of several income-driven repayment (IDR) options for federal student loan borrowers. It helps borrowers by lowering their monthly payments based on their income and family size. After 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments, borrowers are supposed to get their remaining loan balance forgiven.What makes IBR unique is that it was created by Congress, and unlike newer plans such as SAVE, it has clear legal authority for forgiveness. That's why recent court rulings do not apply to IBR.
Despite its legal backing, the Education Department has paused forgiveness processing under IBR, citing "system updates."In a recent update, the department said: 'Currently, IBR forgiveness is paused while our systems are updated… forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed.'There is no clear timeline for when this pause will end. Some borrowers who met the 20- or 25-year threshold have been waiting since mid-2024 without getting their promised discharge.
Other IDR plans like SAVE, PAYE, and ICR are blocked due to a court injunction from a lawsuit challenging the legality of the SAVE plan. Since these were created by regulation, not by Congress, they are on hold. However, Congress passed IBR into law, and courts have not blocked forgiveness under it. The Department of Education itself confirmed: 'ED can and will still process loan forgiveness for the IBR Plan, which Congress separately enacted.'The IBR pause is happening alongside massive disruptions across the student loan system: Over 1.5 million IDR applications are stuck in a backlog.
The Department recently told borrowers on SAVE to switch to IBR, even though IBR forgiveness is currently paused.
Interest will restart in August for borrowers previously under SAVE forbearance.
Under the recently signed " Big, Beautiful Bill, " a new plan, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), will replace SAVE, PAYE, and ICR. Current IBR borrowers will be allowed to stay enrolled and qualify for forgiveness, but new borrowers won't have access to the plan once RAP takes over.If you've already reached your IBR forgiveness threshold but haven't received a discharge: You can continue making payments; any extra payments beyond your qualifying 20 or 25 years should eventually be refunded.
You can also ask your servicer for a temporary forbearance, but be aware that interest will continue accruing during this time.