UPDATE: Aidvantage responded saying my PAYE application was still pending because I had not submitted proof of payment frequency. I DID submit my proof of payment frequency on April 10, the exact day they notified it was missing from my application. I asked them to review their records from that day to find my documents, but to be extra safe then I just re-uploaded my pay stubs again this morning. I just don't want to get penalized for not recertifying on time when I definitely did.
I've already sent an email to Aidvantage to get clarity but wondering if this has happened to anyone else? My recertification date was yesterday, 5/6/2026. I submitted all of my recertification documentation to Aidvantage last month, they confirmed they received it, and said they would notify me once my new monthly payments was calculated.
Weeks went by and I heard nothing, recertification came and went yesterday, and when I logged on today, my "PAYE" plan had been changed to "Income Based Repayment." I was paying $406/month on PAYE and now it says my next scheduled payment will be $1828. I never received a notice about the plan change or the new payment.
I owe $192,000 and my AGI on my tax return was $81,000. I'm in California, married filing separately, no kids. There is no way this new payment could be correct right?? I've been on PAYE for 8 years and my income and loan balance has stayed almost entirely the same throughout the entire 8 years.