But the SAVE Plan has some limitations: The plan doesn't have a cap on how high payments can be, so some people with incomes that are high compared to their loan balance would pay more on the SAVE Plan than they would on the Standard Repayment Plan.
Most SAVE borrowers should stay put
For one, changing plans could increase your borrowing costs. "Changing plans may result in an increase in the borrower's monthly payment, as well as additional interest accrual," said student loan lawyer Adam Minsky.
Basically, because forgiveness could have adverse tax consequences, borrowers need the ability to opt out of facing those tax consequences even if this means they have to continue paying on their student loans. From an ED perspective, it keeps one minor detail from ruining the whole thing.
A federal court issued an injunction preventing the U.S. Department of Education from implementing parts of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan and other IDR plans. Note: Eligible borrowers may now enroll in PAYE and ICR Plans. Continue to check this page for more information as developments occurs.
The SAVE Plan eliminates 100% of remaining monthly interest for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans after you make a full scheduled payment. This means that if you make your monthly payment, your loan balance won't grow due to unpaid interest that accrued since your last payment.
Parent PLUS loans can potentially be forgiven after 10 years under specific conditions, such as through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program after consolidation into a direct consolidation loan. Parent borrowers must enroll in the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan to qualify for PSLF.
The department first implemented the forbearance in August 2024 due to ongoing litigation between the department and seven states challenging the debt cancellation effort's legality. The plan is under an injunction preventing the department and servicers from forgiving loans.
If you work full time for a government or nonprofit organization, you may qualify for forgiveness of the entire remaining balance of your Direct Loans after you've made 120 qualifying payments—i.e., at least 10 years of payments. To benefit from PSLF, you need to repay your federal student loans under an IDR plan.
Future Limits on Switching Plans
If you're on the SAVE Plan, you will not be able to reenroll in the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment Plan or the ICR Plan after July 1, 2024. If you make 60 or more payments on the SAVE Plan on or after July 1, 2024, then you will not be able to enroll in the IBR Plan.
I am enrolled in the SAVE Plan. What does the court's injunction mean for me? Borrowers in SAVE and anyone who has applied for SAVE should expect to remain in interest-free general forbearance for six more months or longer, pending further developments from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Build up your emergency fund.
Experts recommend having three to six months of living expenses in emergency savings to cover surprise bills or ongoing costs if you're out of work.
There is no income limit to be eligible for the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan.
No, the government will not take your refund (for now). But before you start celebrating, here are five things you need to know about your student loan in 2024. Your student loan interest will continue to accrue.
Any borrower with ED-held loans that have accumulated time in repayment of at least 20 or 25 years will see automatic forgiveness, even if the loans are not currently on an IDR plan. Borrowers with FFELP loans held by commercial lenders or Perkins loans not held by ED can benefit if they consolidate into Direct Loans.
Your student loan servicer(s) will notify you directly after your forgiveness is processed. Make sure to keep your contact information up to date on StudentAid.gov and with your servicer(s). If you haven't yet qualified for forgiveness, you'll be able to see your exact payment counts in the future.
SAVE benefits available by July 2024 (on hold due to lawsuits) Monthly bills halved. Payments on undergraduate loans will be cut in half, from 10% to 5% of income above 225% of the poverty line.
You don't get reported when you're in forbearance. During the on-ramp period (through Sept. 30, 2024), we automatically put your loan in a forbearance for the payments you missed. Here's what this means: Your account was no longer considered delinquent and was made current.
What is considered a lot of student loan debt? A lot of student loan debt is more than you can afford to repay after graduation. For many, this means having more than $70,000 – $100,000 in total student debt.
For example, the interest on a $30,000, 36-month loan at 6% is $2,856. The same loan ($30,000 at 6%) paid back over 72 months would cost $5,797 in interest. Even small changes in your rate can impact how much total interest amount you pay overall.
Let's say you have $200,000 in student loans at 6% interest on a 10-year repayment term. Your monthly payments would be $2,220. If you can manage an additional $200 a month, you could save a total of $7,796 while trimming a year off your repayment plan.
Are student loans forgiven when you retire? No, the federal government doesn't forgive student loans at age 50, 65, or when borrowers retire and start drawing Social Security benefits. So, for example, you'll still owe Parent PLUS Loans, FFEL Loans, and Direct Loans after you retire.
How to Use the Double Consolidation Loophole: The key to using the double consolidation loophole is to consolidate each of your Parent PLUS Loans twice. In this scenario, a borrower can have as few as two Parent PLUS Loans.
If a borrower dies, their federal student loans are discharged after the required proof of death is submitted. The borrower's family is not responsible for repaying the loans. A parent PLUS loan is discharged if the parent dies or if the student on whose behalf a parent obtained the loan dies.