What happens if you accept student loan forgiveness?

Asked by: Ignatius Leuschke PhD  |  Last update: August 10, 2023
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From this point on, your days of making monthly student loan payments are over. That is, unless, only a portion of your debt is canceled. If you still owe a remaining balance, you will still continue to owe monthly payments.

What happens if I was approved for student loan forgiveness?

What if my application is approved? If you qualify for forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge of the full amount of your loan, you won't have to make any more payments on that loan. If you qualify for forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge of a part of your loan, you'll need to pay back the remaining balance.

Is there any downside to applying for student loan forgiveness?

Potentially the most significant drawback of student loan forgiveness is the taxes. With a few exceptions, including PSLF, the IRS considers the amount of your forgiven balance to be taxable income. Depending on how much is forgiven, that could amount to tens of thousands of dollars you owe in taxes.

Who will benefit from student loan forgiveness?

Borrowers who will benefit from the new round of automatic loan forgiveness include those with Education Department Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loans who have reached the forgiveness threshold of payment credits.

How does the student loan forgiveness work?

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program forgives the remaining balance on your federal student loans after 120 payments working full time for federal, state, Tribal, or local government; the military; or a qualifying non-profit. Learn more about PSLF and apply.

What happens now? Student loan forgiveness plan struck down by Supreme Court

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How long will it take to get student loan forgiveness money?

Top administration officials indicated that applications will be processed on a rolling basis through 2023, and they expected a four-to-six week turnaround time between when a borrower submits an application and when they receive student loan forgiveness.

How long is the process for student loan forgiveness?

Borrowers should expect that the process may take up to six months, and in some cases, longer. But don't worry — if you submitted your PSLF forms by October 31, and those forms are ultimately approved, you will get the benefits of the Limited PSLF Waiver.

Will I receive student loan forgiveness?

Under the Higher Education Act and the Department's regulations, a borrower is eligible for forgiveness after making 240 or 300 monthly payments—the equivalent of 20 or 25 years on an IDR plan or the standard repayment plan, with the number of required payments varying based upon when a borrower first took out the ...

Did Joe Biden forgive student loans?

Biden administration forgives $39 billion in student debt for more than 800,000 borrowers. The Biden administration announced it would automatically cancel education debt for 804,000 borrowers, for a total of $39 billion in relief.

Is Biden paying off student loans?

The Biden administration will cancel $39 billion in student debt. Here's who is eligible. The more than 804,000 borrowers affected by the relief have been paying on their student loans for decades.

Why student loan forgiveness could hurt your credit score?

Your credit mix refers to the different types of loans you have, from revolving debt like credit cards to installment debt like student loans, car loans and mortgages. Lenders like to see a variety of credit types, and eliminating one type from your profile could have a negative impact on your score.

Does student loan forgiveness affect my credit score?

Don't expect a 'huge' effect on your credit score

Student loan forgiveness will probably have a modest impact on your credit score, said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. “I don't think it will be huge,” Rossman said.

Who is most affected by student loan forgiveness?

It's estimated Black and Hispanic women are expected to experience some of the largest reductions in the percentage with any student loans from the $10,000 relief plan: 5.4 and 4.7 percentage points, respectively. White men are expected to experience among the smallest reductions (2.4 percentage points).

What is the status of the student loan forgiveness lawsuit?

The Supreme Court has denied a request to delay student loan debt relief under a landmark settlement agreement that will provide billions of dollars in student loan forgiveness. The ruling hands borrowers a victory, and gives the Biden administration a green light to continue implementing relief under the agreement.

Does loan forgiveness apply to currently enrolled students?

If the borrower is still in school and independent, federal student loan forgiveness would be based on the borrower's income. If the borrower is no longer in college, it is based on the borrower's income. More: Who qualifies for forgivenessHow to know the application deadline, get a refund if you paid during pandemic.

Who is getting student loans canceled?

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program allows certain nonprofit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 10 years, or 120 payments.

Who gets student debt canceled?

The 804,000 borrowers whose debts will be eliminated are those who, after the adjustments, have made the required 240 or 300 monthly payments (depending on their payment plan) to have their remaining debt forgiven.

Who qualifies for student loan relief?

Essentially, borrowers are already eligible for some forgiveness through a program that already exists after they've made at least 240 or 300 monthly payments—depending on what specific repayment plan they're on and the loan they took out—but previously, months where payments were late, partial or deferred didn't count ...

When should we receive student loan forgiveness?

According to the Education Department, borrowers who receive enough credit to reach or surpass the 20- or 25-years of credit needed for student loan forgiveness “will begin to see their loans forgiven in spring 2023.” Another 3.6 million borrowers are expected to receive three or more years of retroactive credit toward ...

How many students will get student loan forgiveness?

More than 800,000 borrowers will receive federal student loan forgiveness : NPR.

What race has the most debt?

Black adults are 1.5 times more likely than white adults to have student loan debt. The following graph includes federal and private student loan debt among all adults. On average, Black, non-Hispanic adults in the U.S. also hold higher student loan debt balances than borrowers of other races.

Why did my student loans disappear from credit Karma?

Why did my student loans disappear from my credit report? Your student loan disappeared from your credit report because your loan servicer made a mistake, or you fell into default more than 7 years ago. Remember, even if your loans no longer appear on your credit report, you're still legally obligated to repay them.

Do you have to pay taxes on canceled student loans?

California. Previously noted here as a state where statutes seemed to indicate taxability but where the state consensus ran in the other direction, California has now confirmed that it will, in fact, tax student loan debt discharge under current law.

Why do people not like student loan forgiveness?

You may find them spiteful. The underlying sentiment, however, is based on personal responsibility and sacrifice. Some opponents of student loan cancellation believe that each borrower is responsible to pay back the loan they borrowed, whether it's a student loan, mortgage or credit card debt.