economy
January 15, 2026
Over 800,000 student loan borrowers remain in backlog for forgiveness, affordable repayment plans
More than 800,000 federal student loan holders remain stuck in a backlog of applications for an affordable repayment plan or debt forgiveness.
TL;DR
- Over 800,000 federal student loan holders are in a backlog for repayment plans or debt forgiveness.
- As of December, 734,221 borrower requests for income-driven repayment plans were pending.
- An additional 83,370 borrowers are waiting for decisions on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Buyback applications.
- Some borrowers have been waiting for their applications to be processed for over a year.
- The Trump administration reported progress on the IDR backlog, but the PSLF buyback pileup is increasing.
- Borrowers were forced to apply for new repayment plans after the Biden administration's SAVE plan was blocked.
- Consumer advocates suggest staff terminations at the Education Department may have worsened the backlog.
- Millions of borrowers are in default, facing wage garnishments and potential tax refund seizures.
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