Not sure if anyone else ran into this issue - i was making about 14K more last year and my monthly payments were at $456. I have 7 payments left until I get to 120.

Now, even though I am making less money, ED is telling me i have to suddenly (first time in 10 years) have to pay $755 monthly, despite being on an IDR and PSLF plan.

Does anyone else know what is going on or has experienced this? I am seeing a lot of people discussing the legal route - i just want my forgiveness.

My 120th payment was in August. ECF processed but counter has not updated since June.

A Mohela rep told me that if I request a general forbearance like many here are doing, my loans cannot get forgiven because PSLF requires the borrower to be in repayment in order for the counter to move and forgiveness to be applied.

Is there truth to this? I can't imagine that's true because of all the people who request forbearance after green banners. At the same time, their situation is different because FSA is showing them at 120 payments and we're stuck in purgatory.

Recertified my IBR end of July.

While it was being processed, Mohela sent a letter saying my September autopay was scheduled for $380 (my original payment amount) but my October payment would be $1900.

FSA processed the application and listed my new payment as $1600.

My 120th payment is in October.

While I'd LOVE to only have to pay this ridiculous payment once, I'm worried they'll change their mind about how much I really should've paid in September and then I'll end up waiting for 120 till November. Also, what's with the discrepancy in payment amount between Mohela and FSA? I think I need to call them but I really don't waaaannnnnnaaaa.

I’m at 108 certified payments and have an additional 12 months of certified employment/payments during the SAVE forbearance. When I hit 120 counting theseSAVE months, I submitted a buyback request (about a year ago). I’m no longer working full time so I should just request forbearance and wait out the buy back, right?

Im talking since June. If so please email TISLA.

Apologies if this has been asked elsewhere. Just learned about the buyback program.

I've been working for a qualifying employer for the last 13 years, and just submitted recertification for a few months of forbearance that will put me up to 112 months of qualifying payments, so that would make 8 more to get me to the necessary 120.

While my loans have been in admin forbearance / forbearance related to the SAVE plan the past few years, I'm wondering if it would make sense to apply for buyback for 8 months to try to get things forgiven.

My hesitation is that I still work for the qualifying employer, so I could theoretically just submit payments for 8 months to get up to the qualifying 120? Not sure what the next step would be here.

Any thought here would be appreciated - haven't been able to get a hold of anybody helpful.

I am in my last year now of TEPSLF. I SHOULD only have 12 payments left. Usually on the tracker, I see a lot of the recent payments as pending employee verification (my employer never seems to get the signature emails). But now they say ineligible! I believe I have made 108 payments, so I did miss my 108th change to an IDR plan. That's fine, if I have to start on payment 109 and have 1 extra month, it's not the end of the world. But whyyyyy are these all showing as ineligible all of a sudden when I have the tab chosen for showing TEPSLF & PSLF? This goes back 2 years! If this is true, I only have 81 qualifying payments, not 108!

I’ve been on SAVE with a $0 payment, so I haven't paid anything since 2024.

As of July 2024, I was at 80 qualifying PSLF payments. My last employer certification was May 2025, and I’m about to submit a new one. But my PSLF payment counter hasn't updated at all since then. Is this normal?

Also, should I go ahead and apply for a new IDR plan now, or keep waiting?

I believe it’s Oct or 2027 I should be eligible for 120 payments.

I read a post on here ( I think it couldn't have been more than a week ago or less) basically saying that once you get the email, there's some kind of deadline at the end of September and some benefit you might get if you get approved before that? I should have saved it - instead I glanced and kind of saved it in my head but not enough to remember the details. And now I can't find the post I'm thinking of.

I'm not sure if this "benefit" that I'm thinking of applies to RAP - just that it was something that you had to apply for and be approved for before the end of next month. Super sorry for the vagueness. I really would prefer to put off starting any payments on my loans that are currently in SAVE for as long as humanly possible but would reconsider if whatever this thing is I'm thinking of is worth it.

Otherwise, I think the RAP plan will be my best bet. I think I'll have about three years on it before I'm PSLF eligible. Thank you all and sorry for making you be my google memory.

Hi, this sub has been so helpful but I'm still unsure what to do for my specific situation. My 90 day date is October 27.

I am still in SAVE and applied for PSLF buyback in July 2025. 112/120 payments. 80k debt. I calculated my payments for IDR today, and my payment for IDR would be $950, which would make it difficult to survive because most of my income goes to medical expenses and medical debt. The Standard Repayment plan would be $545 which is very tight but possible. Will I be eligible for PSLF if I do the Standard repayment plan? I consolidated my loans a few years ago. How do I figure out if it's eligible?

Or, should I ask for a hardship forbearance and keep hoping they process my Buyback?

I also thought of taking out a 10k loan to pay for my student loans until I reach 120 tbh. I know that would be pretty stupid but my finances are screwed already so -shrug-.

Is the executive branch (aka department of education) able to change the “discretionary income” calculation? After all this mess, a really simple solution would be to have our rent/mortgage and/or at least private student loan amounts calculated into what our “discretionary income” is. Having our payments based off of just AGI is just not practical and short-sighted. Just thinking into the future for possible hope and solution.

So maybe there’s something I’m missing but can someone please explain.

I owe about $24,000 in student loans. I work in law enforcement and want to take advantage of the PSLF. However, all the repayment plan options show that they are 10 year plans. This would mean that by the time I would have made my 120 payments, my loan would be paid off and there would be nothing for the PSLF to forgive.

Can anyone explain or assist?

Hey team,

Curious if anyone else has seen this or if it's a glitch in the system? I moved off of SAVE to PAYE with an estimated payment of about $650. After I submitted the application, Mohela sent me the estimated payment amount and a forbearance ending date. The amount Mohela is requesting is the same as the old SAVE payment, $101.

I made a payment today (also signed up for auto-pay, which somehow was removed from the account) but I'm worried they won't count for PSLF since the amount is drastically lower than what I was expecting to come out.

Any idea what is going on and if these lower payments will help me bridge the gap to the buyback next year?

Hi all, I have four loans all counting towards PSLF. I last updated counts in March.

For 3/4 of the loans, April- June show as employment not certified. However for 1 of the loans, April- June show as ineligible- missed payment, delinquent not defaulted.

I have never missed a payment or payed late, so not sure why this 1 loan is showing as ineligble? I have been making payments towards all 4 loans this entire time. My servicer is aidvantage.

Not sure if this is an error that will fix itself or if I should call someone? Thank you!

I was granted PSLF discharge less than three weeks ago. Only took 1 week for the loans to drop off the credit report, and today I received a check from the Treasury Department for my overpayment. Just wanted to post this as a record of how long it took me, although I understand N=1. Good luck to the rest of you!

First post. I spent 50+mins on the phone with Mohela to ask if my payments are now "capped" and if these payments would count for PSLF. I searched other recent posts and the information I received today was conflicting. I have $200k+ loans, all before 2019, MFJ. Current PAYE payment has been $2300/month. Payment estimate was to be $2500/month when I manually re-certified.

This is the letter I received, similar to prior posts.

MOHELA received your request for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. We are unable to grant your request for the following reason(s):

· Your repayment plan has changed, and your monthly payment amount has been recalculated. Based on the information provided on your Income-Driven Repayment Plan Request, you no longer have a partial financial hardship to qualify you for the income-driven repayment plan you were previously enrolled in. Your loans will be placed on an IBR/PAYE Permanent Standard repayment plan. A notice with details of the new repayment plan, including the new monthly payment amount, will be sent separately.

The Mohela rep stated very matter of fact that no, these payments would not count since I am no longer under a qualified income based repayment plan since I made too much money and no longer have a PFH - that I was denied PAYE and this "IBR/PAYE Permanent Standard repayment plan" is basically not real. He stated that in order for the payments to count for PSLF, I would need to be under an annually re-certified plan, with terms of repayment for 12 months and that I am not under the above plan.

What am I missing here? I thought that once your income exceeds the threshold, your payments are capped and would still count for PSLF. He is saying that without the approved income based plan certified, they would not. He encouraged me to apply for IBR instead and the amount he quoted me was essentially the same but he says these payments would 100% count.

I am able to switch to IBR if needed, but honestly wasn't planning to until 2027/2028. Should I stay put for now or just make the switch? Thanks all.

Posting my full PSLF Buyback timeline as a data point for the Nov 2024 Buyback cohort. I posted previously about my situation, including a 2024 lump-sum payment that is also supposed to be refunded, so I wanted to provide an update now that the loans are officially gone.

• 11/4/2024: Submitted a PSLF Buyback reconsideration case. Case number started with 235.
• 7/24/2026: Received my Buyback offer. The amount was pretty close to what my monthly payment would have been under SAVE.
• 7/24/2026: Paid the full Buyback amount the same day.
• 7/24 onward: I called both MOHELA and FSA every day trying to confirm that the payment had been received. I previously had issues with MOHELA applying payments correctly, so I was nervous about this part. Unfortunately, neither MOHELA nor FSA could really give me a clear answer and they kept directing me back to each other.
• 8/14/2026: Received notice from FSA that my loans would be forgiven.
• 8/16/2026: Received notice from MOHELA that my loans had been discharged.
• 8/19/2026: FSA now shows the green banners and $0 balance.

From submitting the reconsideration case to forgiveness was about 21 months. Total forgiven was approximately $250,000.

One other piece is still outstanding. I had a lump-sum payment from 2024 that is supposed to be refunded as part of this process. I have not received any update on that refund yet, but I'll update this post if that changes.

Looking for urgent advice from anyone who has broken through the administrative deadlock between MOHELA and Federal Student Aid (FSA). I need the fastest path to force a manual audit, finalize discharge, and delete unlawful credit reporting marks.

I am fully prepared to take formal legal action. I am actively seeking recommendations for Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and consumer rights litigation firms that handle student loan servicer misconduct, improper credit furnishing, and financial/emotional distress damages.

The emotional, mental, and financial exhaustion from dealing with this over the last several years has been overwhelming. I have 30 years in public service and over 20 years in repayment. I followed every official directive, and now I am trapped in an administrative loop where MOHELA is billing me improperly, letting interest balloon, and reporting severe delinquency marks to credit bureaus on debt that has already reached the finish line.

The Background & 109+ Direct Loan History

• In 2024, I held 5 Direct Loans with MOHELA (Loans 1-01 through 1-05).
• Every single loan was an eligible Direct Loan with 109 verified Qualifying Payments (QPs) / 119 Eligible Payments on record.
• I was verbally assured by MOHELA that I was on track and would be "all set."

Despite holding Direct Loans with matching counts, both FSA and MOHELA repeatedly instructed me to consolidate:

1. FSA Portal Banner: My dashboard displayed: "Student Aid Tip: At least one of your loans is not a Direct Loan... consider consolidating."
2. Official Letter: FSA issued a formal notice stating: "One or more of your loans is currently ineligible for PSLF because it is a loan made under the FFEL Program... You can consolidate ineligible loans to make them eligible."
3. The Glitch: The system was scanning lifetime NSLDS history and flagging a legacy 2004 FFEL loan that has had a $0.00 balance for nearly 20 years. The system's automated script failed to filter out $0 balances and treated my account as if I owed active non-Direct debt.

Relying on this official guidance, I submitted a consolidation in July 2024.

The Current Status & False Credit Delinquency

• Verified Progress to 115 QPs / 126 Eligible Months: My official FSA PSLF letter from March 16, 2026, confirms my active consolidation loans have reached 115 Qualifying Payments (QPs) and 126 Eligible Payments (EPs). With continuous qualifying employment certified since 2006, I have already surpassed the 120-month requirement.
• Severe Inaccurate Credit Reporting (FCRA Violations): MOHELA formally reported Grid Code 5 on Experian as of January 31, 2026, delinquency in December 2025
• Direct Servicer Contradictions: MOHELA reported these severe delinquencies even though:
  1. I have an open Borrower Defense claim that legally requires a mandatory non-pay status under the Oct 2023 Decision Memo.
  2. On February 12, 2026, MOHELA issued a written notice confirming my account was in an approved Administrative Forbearance that carries full PSLF and IDR credit.
  3. MOHELA sent conflicting notices claiming 120+ and 155+ days past due literally minutes apart from regular billing statements.
• Improper Interest Accrual: Over $1,000 in interest has improperly accrued due to MOHELA’s erratic debit-and-reversal cycles and failure to maintain 0% interest administrative status. When placing a forbearance to stop active billing, MOHELA informed me that interest would continue to accrue.

What I have done up to this point:

• FOIA Delay: I filed a formal Privacy Act request for my complete records. The Department confirmed it will take 262 days because they are still waiting on MOHELA to deliver the documents and they are very backlogged
• MOHELA Failure: I demanded my complete servicing history from MOHELA; they mailed me a single piece of paper. Follow-up requests have yielded nothing.

Where I Stand Now

• Active complaints filed with the CFPB for servicer steering, material misrepresentation, unauthorized interest accruals, credit reporting violations, and document withholding. MOHELA only provided boilerplate interim replies stating they "require additional research".
• Formal PSLF Buyback request submitted on StudentAid.gov.

Questions for the Community:

1. Administrative Resolution: What specific escalation route (FSA Ombudsman, Congressional casework, or internal supervisor transfer) actually forces a rapid manual match on a file showing 115 QPs and 126 Eligible Months to finalize 100% discharge?
2. FCRA Credit Deletions: Has anyone successfully forced MOHELA or credit bureaus to delete 90/150-day delinquency tradelines under the FCRA when falsely reported during an administrative forbearance or pending Borrower Defense review?
3. Interest Elimination: Has anyone gotten improperly accrued interest ($1,000+) wiped under the Secretary's Compromise Authority (Oct 2023 Decision Memo) after servicer billing/reversal errors?
4. Litigation Law Firm Recommendations: Which consumer rights litigation firms, NACA attorneys, or student loan advocacy organizations handle individual and class-action lawsuits against MOHELA for FCRA violations, servicer steering, and emotional/financial distress?

Any advice, direct escalation contacts, or legal recommendations would be deeply appreciated. I am mentally just worn out over this and it has limited my ability to purchase a home and affected my credit negatively that I am so defeated and noone can seem to help me so far. I get hung up on and treated with such ignorance by these people.....Please help with any information you may have...

Got this email just now:

“There is no payment owed for your PSLF buyback.  You will receive Public Service or Temporary Public Service loan forgiveness for the loans listed above in the next 60 to 90 business days.”

Anyone get this before? Is there hope?

I’m nearing 120 qualifying payments, but like many here, I’m missing my July and August payments. I filed an ECF this week and those payments were not included, they are simply missing.

If I file a reconsideration request - and then eventually hit 120 in the meantime while it’s pending, would that pending request prevent me from filing a final ECF, or otherwise having my loans forgiven?

What is the average turn around for reconsideration requests?