Relief delayed: Education Department speeds up paperwork but freezes student loan forgiveness

A court-ordered filing shows the US Department of Education speeding up income-driven repayment application decisions while halting actual forgiveness under those plans. Although over 22,000 borrowers were flagged as eligible, no IDR discharges were processed in January. Meanwhile, the PSLF buyback backlog has grown, signalling prolonged waits for thousands seeking relief.

Relief delayed: Education Department speeds up paperwork but freezes student loan forgiveness
A court-ordered filing shows the US Department of Education speeding up income-driven repayment application decisions while halting actual forgiveness under those plans. Although over 22,000 borrowers were flagged as eligible, no IDR discharges were processed in January. Meanwhile, the PSLF buyback backlog has grown, signalling prolonged waits for thousands seeking relief.