Will I get a refund if my loans are forgiven?

Asked by: Duncan Wiegand  |  Last update: March 13, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (59 votes)

If you qualify for student loan forgiveness or discharge in full, and have applied if necessary, you will get a notification that you no longer need to make payments. In some cases, you may even get a refund, depending on the program you applied under.

Will I get money back if student loans are forgiven?

If your federal student loans are forgiven, you could get a refund, and you might see your credit score dip. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website.

Is the government refunding student loan payments?

No, you can no longer get refunds for payments you made during the COVID-19 payment pause. The refund benefit ended on Aug. 28, 2023. Prepare for student loan payments to restart.

What will happen to my credit when my student loans are forgiven?

Your discharged loan will be reported to the credit bureaus and that will be the end of it. Your score should recalculate to reflect the closed account.

What happens to taxes when student loans are forgiven?

Right now, anyone who receives student loan forgiveness between 2021 and 2025 will not have to pay taxes on any amount of student debt forgiveness.

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37 related questions found

Will I get a tax refund if I owe student loans?

It's possible to receive a tax refund if you have student loans. Simply owing money on loans does not prevent you from getting a refund — defaulting on those loans does.

Are forgivable loans taxable?

Once these requirements are satisfied, the principal of the loan is forgiven and, therefore, not required to be paid back to the employer. The principal of the loan is considered income to the employee and is taxable.

What happens to student loans already forgiven?

Key Takeaways. When your student loan debt is forgiven, you'll be sent notice of how much is canceled and whether you still owe anything more. If your loan is discharged because of fraud or deception on the part of the school, you may get a refund of some payments.

Why did my credit score drop after student loans were removed?

Because credit scoring models tend to favor active accounts, once a student loan account is paid and closed, you may see a drop in your credit score, due to the resulting decrease in average age of your active credit accounts. However, this drop is typically temporary.

How will I know if my student loan will be forgiven?

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.

How do you know if you're getting a refund check from school?

Most schools have an online portal telling you if you get a refund. It may tell you outright, or it might just show your total aid vs. the amount your school billed you.

Why do my student loans say no payment due in 2024?

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.

How does student loan forgiveness work?

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loan after you've made the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full time for a qualifying employer.

Do you get a refund check from student loans?

Typically, these refunds are intended to cover school-related expenses such as off-campus housing, supplies or transportation. However, there are also cases in which students have borrowed more than they actually needed, resulting in a refund check. It's important to know that refund checks are not “free” money.

What if I was approved for student loan forgiveness?

If you qualify for forgiveness of the full amount of your loan(s), you won't have to make any more loan payments. If you qualify for forgiveness of only a portion of your loan(s), you're still responsible for repaying the remaining balance.

What will happen to my credit score if my student loans are forgiven?

If you're able to secure loan forgiveness, you might see your credit scores drop slightly. That's because student loans, like any other loan, contribute to your credit mix, or the different types of debt that you hold.

Is 700 a good credit score?

A 700 credit score is considered a good score on the most common credit score range, which runs from 300 to 850. How does your score compare with others? You're within the good credit score range, which runs from 690 to 719.

Why did my student loans just disappear?

Student loans disappear from credit reports 7.5 years from the date they are paid in full, charged-off, or entered default. However, education debt can reappear if you dig out of default with consolidation or loan rehabilitation. Student loans can have an outsized impact on your credit score.

What are the negative effects of student loan forgiveness?

"And if you assume there's a likelihood it's canceled, you're going to be more likely to take out more debt up front. That's going to give colleges more pricing power to raise tuition without pressure and to offer more low-value degrees."

Why does my student loan say paid in full?

You may notice your former servicer has cleared your loan account. For example, your loan balance may come up as “paid in full” on your former servicer's website or on your credit report. This does not mean you've received loan forgiveness. This is part of the loan transfer process.

What is the borrower defense refund check?

If your claim is approved, you will receive a discharge related to your claim and/or a refund of payments made to ED on those loans. This means you would no longer have to make payments on those loans associated with the school that wronged you, and you may have your past loan payments refunded to you.

Is loan forgiveness taxable?

In general, if your debt is canceled, forgiven, or discharged for less than the amount owed, the amount of the canceled debt is taxable. If taxable, you must report the canceled debt on your tax return for the year in which the cancellation occurred.

Do you have to pay back a forgivable loan?

The term of the Forgivable Loan matches the term of the CalHFA first mortgage not to exceed thirty (30) years. Payments on Forgivable Loan are deferred for the life of the first loan. The Forgivable Loan is due and payable when certain events occur.

Will I get a 1099 for student loan forgiveness?

When you receive any type of debt forgiveness for more than $600, the creditor is supposed to send you a Form 1099-C. You'll find, in box 2, an amount of tax forgiven, and you need to enter that amount on your tax return marked “other income.” The IRS generally considers forgiven debt as income for tax purposes.