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☆ Student-loan borrowers in public service will now have to wait until July for their debt relief forms to be processed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Applications to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program are paused through July. During this time, borrowers can still submit applications, but they will not be processed. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSome student-loan borrowers hoping for debt relief might have to wait a few months. Beginning on May 1, the Education Department placed a pause on any processing of applications to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments.

Persons: It's, MOHELA, — Organizations: Public, Service, Education Department, MOHELA, Business

☆ Student-loan borrowers in public service are facing a key change starting in May — and it'll mean delays in their debt cancellation progress
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSome key changes are on the way for thousands of federal student-loan borrowers in public service. President Joe Biden's Education Department recently posted new guidance on Federal Student Aid's website with updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Once PSLF processing resumes in July, borrowers' loans will remain with their servicer, but the Education Department will fully manage the program. As a result, borrowers can view their PSLF payments directly on studentaid.gov, access "enhanced" services like status tracking for their applications, and see quicker processing times for PSLF. AdvertisementOn top of this transition, MOHELA is in the process of transitioning borrowers to a new servicing platform, which could mean up to 30-day delays in posting payments.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, MOHELA, that'll, PSLF, Grant, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Chuck Schumer, Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Federal, Public, Business, Teacher, College And Higher, Federal Student Aid, Education Department, PSLF, Protection Locations: Massachusetts

☆ A major student-loan company is 'impeding' borrowers' debt cancellation and 'mishandling' their monthly bills, Elizabeth Warren says. She wants its CEO to face Congress.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMassachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has questions for the head of a major student-loan company — and she wants him to answer them in Congress next month. On Monday, Warren sent a letter to Scott Giles, the CEO of federal student-loan servicer MOHELA, inviting him to testify before the Senate banking committee on April 10. MOHELA was the first federal servicer to be punished by the Education Department for failing to fulfill its contractual obligations. "Your testimony will provide you with an opportunity to offer context on MOHELA's role as a student loan servicer at a time of significant transition for the federal student loan program," she added. Warren, along with other Democratic lawmakers, has previously scrutinized MOHELA's handling of student-loan borrowers' accounts.

Persons: —, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Scott Giles, servicer MOHELA, MOHELA, servicer, Chuck Schumer, Sen, Bernie Sanders, PSLF, I'm Organizations: Service, Public, Business, Education Department, Democratic, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Locations: Massachusetts, Nelnet

☆ A millennial got $76,000 in student debt wiped out last year. Now he's learned it was a mistake and has to dig into his retirement savings to afford payments again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"So I mean, we upped our retirement contributions, put more in our savings account because we're saving to buy an apartment." According to David's account, he's expected to resume payments in April, and while he's not yet sure what the amount will be, he's already having to cut back on spending and dig into his retirement savings to make sure he can afford an additional bill. Since federal student-loan payments resumed in October after an over three-year pause, many borrowers have been struggling to get help from their servicers due to strained resources at Federal Student Aid, the office that oversees repayment. AdvertisementAs David waits for clarity, he's evaluating how much money he can withdraw from his savings account to face his student-loan payments once again. "I'm on the fortunate end of this in that I do actually have a savings account," David said.

Persons: David, David —, —, MOHELA, he's, We've, we're, Anne, hasn't, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, BI, Public, Education Department, Federal Student Aid, Republican Locations: PSLF, MOHELA

☆ Student-loan borrowers will start to see 'improvements' to the repayment process starting this month
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Millions of student-loan borrowers might soon see improvements to the platforms they use to pay off their debt. Federal Student Aid also posted an announcement on its website with further details on the platform changes. This is likely an effort to prevent scams by making it clear to borrowers that the servicer works with the federal government. It'll ensure that borrowers can detect whether information is coming from an Education Department website to protect them from scams and reduce disruptions across servicing platforms. Advertisement"You will see more improvements when managing and repaying your loans in the coming year," the email to borrowers said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, MOHELA Organizations: Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Business, Federal, Aid, Education Department

☆ A student-loan borrower who received debt cancellation a year ago was just told it was a mistake — and now his $93,000 balance is reinstated
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Okwara, 36, received a letter from MOHELA in May 2023 confirming his loans were forgiven. But on February 29, MOHELA sent a letter telling him the relief was a mistake, and his balance was reinstated. Okwara made those investments because he no longer had to worry about his student loans — or so he thought. On February 29, he received a letter that confirmed exactly what he feared: the forgiveness was a mistake, and his $93,000 balance had been reinstated in full. Did you get a notice that your student loans were reinstated after receiving forgiveness?

Persons: MOHELA, —, Okwara —, Okwara Organizations: Service, Business, PSLF, Public, BI, An Education Department, Education Department Locations: MOHELA

☆ 813,000 student-loan borrowers are now getting emails that their loans are wiped out following Biden's recent reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The White House said 813,000 student-loan borrowers are getting emails their loans have been wiped out. It's a result of account adjustments to ensure all borrowers' payments are accounted for. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementCheck your email: thousands more student-loan borrowers are starting to receive notices that their balances have been reduced to zero. Over the past few months, a growing number of borrowers have been receiving debt relief through the Education Department's adjustments to borrowers' accounts.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Biden, Biden's, George Tucker, isn't Organizations: House, Service, White House, White, Public, Education Department

☆ How a boomer just got $50,000 in student debt wiped out after making payments for 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's a result of an account adjustment for borrowers who made the required 20 or 25 years of payments. AdvertisementGeorge Tucker thought he would be resuming student-loan payments alongside millions of other borrowers this fall. Tucker, 63, owed just under $50,000 on his student loans when the more than three-year pause on federal payments ended in October, per documents reviewed by Insider. Although PSLF was intended to forgive student debt after ten years of qualifying payments, Tucker said paperwork challenges with the program threw him off track, and he was not anticipating debt relief. George Tucker got $50,000 in student debt wiped out.

Persons: George Tucker, It's, Tucker, —, Little, he's, PSLF, MOHELA, Harris, Joe Biden's, isn't, Miguel Cardona, servicers, Jason Harmon, Harmon couldn't Organizations: Service, Public, Harris Administration, Biden, Joe Biden's Education Department, Department, Education, Education Department, MOHELA

☆ A boomer on short-term disability isn't required to make student-loan payments right now. Her servicer took out $200 from her bank anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Amy, 59, is not required to make any student loan payments while pursuing her teaching certificate. It comes as the Education Department is working to strengthen oversight over servicers. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile federal student-loan payments resumed for most borrowers in October, Amy, 59, knew she was not expected to make any payments. "But that's not the case with student loans. "It's ridiculous these companies get contracts for federal student loans," Amy said.

Persons: Amy, servicer, —, MOHELA, Joe Biden's, servicers, Amy —, she's, that's, it's, Harris, Education Miguel Cardona Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, The Education Department, Aid, Biden, Harris Administration, Education

☆ Some student-loan borrowers are surprised to find their accounts are suddenly in forbearance. Here's why that might be happening.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some student-loan borrowers are logging into their accounts and seeing it in forbearance. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you recently logged into your student-loan account and were surprised to see it placed in forbearance, you're not alone. Over the past few days, student-loan borrowers primarily serviced by MOHELA have logged into their accounts to see their loans were no longer in active repayment. Still, the borrower's account continues to show a payment due with interest accruing, according to documents reviewed by Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementWas your student-loan account placed on administrative forbearance without any notice?

Persons: servicer, —, MOHELA, servicers, forbearance, Scott Buchanan, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal, Scott Giles Organizations: Department, Service, Public, Student Loan, — Locations: forbearance, MOHELA, Sens

☆ Education Department penalizes Missouri lender for error that made 800,000 student loan borrowers delinquent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Department of Education will penalize student loan servicer Mohela, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, for its failure to send timely billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers. As a result of Mohela's errors, more than 800,000 borrowers were delinquent on their loans, the Education Department said in a statement Monday. Higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz said he believed this was one of the first instances of the government withholding payment from a student loan servicer. "It is only fair for the loan servicer to be penalized for mailing late statements." Federal student loan payments were on pause since March 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, but resumed this month.

Persons: servicer Mohela, Rich Cordray, Mark Kantrowitz, servicer, Kantrowitz, Mohela, servicers, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Braxton Brewington, Brewington, Biden Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, Washington , D.C, U.S . Department, Education, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, Education Department, Finance, Federal, Mohela, CNBC Locations: Washington ,, Missouri, forbearance

☆ Student-loan companies are asking for patience to resolve account errors as payments come due, but borrowers can't afford to wait
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementAlicia, 48, is just a few months away from qualifying for student-debt relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. She said she anticipated that once the student-loan payment pause ended, she would be facing the same monthly payment. After over three years, the pandemic student-loan payment pause is officially over — interest started to accrue again in September, and bills are now starting to become due. So we can't wait months and months and months." Are you having challenges with student-loan repayment?

Persons: servicers haven't, —, Alicia, Alicia —, I've, servicers, it's, it'll, they're, We're, Xiong Chang, Xiong, I'm, servicer, he's, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Service, Public, Education Department, Customer Service Locations: PSLF

☆ Student-loan borrowers are facing 'excessively long' wait times for help from their servicers, Biden's Education Secretary says — and it'll take more money from Congress to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Student-loan borrowers started to face monthly bills again this week. Miguel Cardona told Insider he's aware of the challenges with repayment. October 1 marked the official end of pandemic relief for federal student-loan borrowers. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told Insider in an interview that he's aware of the challenges this transition is bringing to both borrowers and servicers. AdvertisementAdvertisementStill, some student-loan servicers continue to point to lack of resources when faced with customer service complaints.

Persons: Miguel Cardona, —, we're, Cardona, Joe Biden's, Education James Kvaal, he's, Kvaal, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, servicers, MOHELA Organizations: Service, Bills, Education Department, Education, Federal Student Aid, Republicans Locations: Massachusetts

☆ Why paying off your student loans won't get easier anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Student-loan borrowers are entering uncharted territoryThe Education Department has never had to reenter 28 million people into payments at the same time. Plus, federal servicers' technology may not be up to the task. In contrast, federal student-loan servicing has been contracted out to five companies, and the government doesn't have the resources to fully keep tabs on the industry. "So there really were deep-rooted structural problems in the loan programs on the policy design but also on the execution side," Kvaal said. As the years went on, the GAO continued to identify flaws in student-loan programs that were hurting borrowers.

Persons: Greg Ogden, Ogden, I've, servicer, he's, he'd, We're, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, James Kvaal, —, Kvaal, Barack Obama's, Obamacare, servicers, Scott Buchanan, servicers —, servicer MOHELA, MOHELA, Biden, Virginia Foxx, she's, Cardona, it's, Foxx, Carolyn Fast, Joe Biden's, Buchanan, Warren, Pamela Herd, Herd, Melissa Emrey, that's, Miguel Cardona, we're Organizations: Public, Education Department, Department, Student Loan, —, GOP, The Century Foundation, Federal Student Aid, Georgetown University, Medicare, Student Aid, Office, Biden, Social, Education, Consumer Financial, Emrey, Federal, Aid Locations: servicers, Arras

☆ Student loan payments could get easier for survivors of sexual assault if a bill introduced by Sen. John Fetterman and 10 other Democrats passes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Our experts answer readers' student loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess student loans). Rep. Madeleine Dean, Sen. John Fetterman, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and eight other Democrats introduced HR 5588 on Wednesday — days before student loan payments are set to resume on October 1. This bill will make it possible for students to focus on their mental health without the burden of student loan payments." As the October deadline for federal student loan payments looms, Democratic lawmakers are looking for ways to soften the blow for borrowers. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been taking steps to correct student loans for various borrowers being charged too much.

Persons: Madeleine Dean, Sen, John Fetterman, Ayanna Pressley, Fetterman, Elizabeth Warren, servicer MOHELA, Biden, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Network, YWCA, Democratic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Pennsylvania

☆ Student-loan borrowers' federal balances are now growing every day from interest — but technical issues are delaying some of them from paying it off
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Interest on student loans started accruing daily again last week. That's because interest on federal student loans grows daily. According to Federal Student Aid: "Unlike other forms of debt, such as credit cards and mortgages, Direct Loans are 'daily interest' loans. On daily interest loans, interest accrues (adds up) every day." Nelnet did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the website outage.

Persons: Nelnet, Biden Organizations: Service, Systems, Federal Student, Student Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan is in jeopardy. Here are 4 major takeaways from the Supreme Court's oral arguments.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Biden's student-debt relief on Tuesday. The nation's highest court heard more than four hours of oral arguments in two high-profile cases that reviewed Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in debt for federal borrowers, which lower courts temporarily paused in November. "We're talking about half a trillion dollars and 43 million Americans," Chief Justice John Roberts said, referring to the estimated costs of Biden's plan and the number of affected borrowers. Justice Elena Kagan raised a hypothetical national emergency of an earthquake and the education secretary responded by deciding to cancel student loans for those harmed. Still, even if Barrett and the court's three liberals find that the states and borrowers lack standing, they would need another conservative vote to uphold Biden's debt relief.

☆ Ayanna Pressley says it's not time for a student-debt relief backup plan yet, as a conservative-majority Supreme Court decides whether Biden's plan is legal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Ayanna Pressley told Insider it's not the time for a backup plan on student-debt relief. The Supreme Court concluded oral arguments on the cases challenging Biden's debt relief on Tuesday. The Supreme Court needs to apply the letter of the law, and we need to get this done." Pressley was among a group of Democratic lawmakers who voiced support for student-debt relief outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. "Even this far-right Supreme Court should be able to recognize that these claims against student debt relief are baseless and politically-motivated.

☆ Student-loan companies are 'ready to apply' debt cancellation to borrowers' balances, Biden's Education Secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Miguel Cardona said student-loan companies are "ready to apply" debt relief. But they cannot actually cancel any student debt right now because the plan continues to be stalled. That's due to a ruling from the 8th Circuit in response to a GOP-led lawsuit seeking to halt the relief. "Unfortunately, our ability to process loan forgiveness has been paused," Cardona wrote. "We believe strongly that the lawsuits are entirely meritless, and that the debt relief plan is lawful and necessary," he added.

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