Federal loan relief program

Federal Student Aid and the Biden-Harris Administration have announced a three-part plan to help federal student loan borrowers get back on track with payments after the pandemic-related support expires.

Part 1: Student loan repayment pause will extend one final time through Dec. 31, 2022. This means borrowers will resume monthly payments in January 2023. This pause will be automatic. There is nothing you need to do.

Part 2: The U.S. Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. To be eligible, the borrower’s annual income must be below $125,000 (individuals) or $250,000 (married couples and head of households). For many borrowers, this cancellation will be automatic. There will be a simple application available in October. To be notified when the application is available, please sign up at the Department of Education subscription page.

Part 3: A new income-driven repayment plan has been created to reduce future monthly payments for lower- and middle-income borrowers. This plan reduces the payment from 10 percent of their discretionary income to 5 percent. Your student loan servicer will have information on this new payment plan.

To review your student loan history or to see if you received a Pell grant, you can visit studentaid.gov. Please visit https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/ for the most up-to-date information.