The Trump administration on Monday halted enrollment in key federal student loan repayment plans, leaving millions of borrowers uncertain about their financial future.
The Department of Education without a formal announcement removed applications for all Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans, a move that could have long-term consequences for those relying on these programs to keep their loan payments affordable and work toward eventual loan forgiveness.
This decision follows a ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which placed an injunction on the SAVE plan, a student loan repayment program introduced by the Biden administration.
The court’s ruling blocked further implementation of the plan, but the Trump administration went further, suspending access to all IDR plans, including Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR).
These plans calculate monthly payments based on a borrower’s income and family size, ensuring that loan repayments remain manageable. They also offer a pathway to loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of payments, or even 10 years for those in public service through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
The decision has drawn widespread criticism with people saying the move was unnecessary and will create financial hardship for millions of Americans. The lack of transparency from the Department of Education has only added to the confusion, as the only acknowledgment of the decision was a brief notice on the federal student aid website, with no clear guidance provided to those affected.
According to the Washington Post, internal memos suggest that the processing pause could last at least 90 days, but there is no official timeline for when applications will resume.
