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Federal Student Loan Relief: Why Most Borrowers Overpay

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Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan was struck down. Federal student loan payments are resuming October 2023.
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Something is clearly wrong when it comes to federal student loan relief efforts, even with various student loan forgiveness programs in place. Only about 7% of eligible borrowers have applied for loan forgiveness (and we rounded up). This means millions of student loan borrowers could pay less but they either don’t know about the program or don’t know how to use it.

The Department of Education even admits that its efforts to increase awareness about these programs are incomplete and inconsistent. They say the information is available but it’s up to borrowers to hunt it down or ask their loan servicer. Luckily, Debt.com is here with the details…

Click here to view Debt.com’s Student Loan Relief Infographic
Federal student loan relief infographic explains how income-based repayment and loan forgiveness provide debt relief

What is Income Based Repayment?

Income Based Repayment (IBR) is one of three federal student loan relief programs that matches monthly payments to your income. It’s basically the government’s way of acknowledging that the salary you earn after you get a degree usually doesn’t exactly match the expense you incur to get it. The program adjusts the monthly payments on your Federal Direct student loan debt to your income and family size. If you have a lower income and a larger family, it reduces your student loan payment requirement.

NOTE: If you have private student loans, those aren’t eligible for federal repayment plans and forgiveness programs.

In general, enrollees spend between 10% to 15% of their take-home income to repay student loans under an IBR. This reduces the burden of student loan repayment on your budget. The GAO report acknowledges that this can increase the total cost over the life of your educational loans. However, in many cases, other federal relief programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, can offset that added cost.

Looking for a quick and easy way to pay off your student loans? Check this out!

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Exactly how much savings are we talking?

The GAO report created a few different borrowers to run test examples. These compare IBR repayment to loan repayment under a Standard 10-year repayment plan. Standard plan enrollment is automatic if you don’t choose a different plan, like an IBR.

For one sample borrower making less than $15,000 annually, an IBR reduced the monthly payment amount AND total cost. The IBR guarantees that this borrower pays less than the $230 payment on a Standard plan; in some cases, the payment requirement can be $0 because of such a low income. Total cost savings would be $4,742.

Savings can be even greater under other income-driven repayment plans. For example, the PayE (Pay as You Earn) program is even better than an IBR at reducing monthly payments. In PayE, the same borrower would only pay between $0 and $96 per month. Over the life of their loan repayment, they would pay just $7,414.

Remember, this sample borrower took out $20,000 in loans. Under the PayE this borrower only has to repay less than 40% of what they borrowed. The remaining balance gets forgiven without penalties at the end of the PayE term, which is 20 years. That may seem like a long time to repay a loan, but it’s definitely worth it for the cost-benefit.

The federal government offers a free repayment estimator that helps you see how much you, specifically, can save under each program. However, be warned that both the GAO and other borrowers have complained the calculator is a bit complicated to use.

The potential to save is even greater for public servants

IBR and PayE also allow a borrower who works in public service to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). PSLF is, without question, the most advantageous student debt relief program available – if you can qualify for it.

To be eligible, you must have qualifying Federal Direct Student Loans and be employed in an approved public service profession. You must also enroll in a hardship-based repayment plan, which has terms that range from 20-30 years. If you meet both of those requirements and make 120 qualified payments on the plan, your remaining balances will be forgiven without penalties.

Again, the GAO report gave examples. This time, the sample borrower had a higher income ($25,000 annually) but also had higher debt ($60,000).

  • On an IBR, the monthly payment with PSLF is between $94 and $221; without PSLF it could be up to $689.
    • Total cost is $18,383 versus the $92,845 cost on an IBR without PSLF
    • Instead of making 300 payments (25 years), it would be 120 (10 years)
  • On a PayE, the monthly payment is between $63 to $147, with a term of 120 months instead of 240
    • Total cost is $12,256 versus the $39,461 cost without PSLF

Again, remember that this borrower took out $60,000 in loans. Only on an IBR without PSLF would they actually pay back what the loan borrowed with interest. In every other circumstance, they pay less.

Given such an insane potential for savings, you’d think people would be jumping on this. However, less than 150,000 borrowers have requested PSLF certification. As of September 2014, at least 643,000 should be able to get certified.

These programs also make you less likely to default

The GAO report shows that IBR and PayE borrowers are:

  • More likely to have higher debt levels
  • Typically experience at least partial financial hardship, like living paycheck to paycheck

And yet they are less likely to default that borrowers who don’t enroll in these programs. Looking at student loan borrowers who entered repayment between 2010 and 2014:

  • Only 0.5% of borrowers enrolled in an IBR were in default
  • Only 0.1% of PayE borrowers were in default
  • But 14% of borrowers on Standard repayment had defaulted

What’s more, only 56% of Standard users were actively repaying their loans (15% had deferment and another 15% had forbearance). By contrast, 81% of IBR users and 87% of PayE participants were active in repayment. So, not only do these programs keep you out of default, they avoid using limited opportunities for deferment and forbearance.

Why aren’t more people using this?

The GAO specifically calls out the Department of Education and the 11 lenders authorized to service Federal Direct Loans. Communication is inconsistent and often only available upon request. Some loan servicers think it’s enough to print a message on the back of your monthly statement; others don’t even do that – they’ll give you information if you go out of your way to ask for it.

The GAO report also acknowledges that enrolling and getting certified for these programs is complicated. The Department of Education offers information on its website and repayment tools that compare total costs. However, those resources can be just as confusing as the enrollment process. Many times, borrowers just get frustrated and leave… and leave the savings on the table.

That’s why Federal Student Loan Relief services are so vital. They do the same thing for your student loans that a tax prep service does for your annual income taxes. You don’t have to handle any paperwork or work out difficult calculations. They also have extensive knowledge about all these programs that could take days or weeks to digest on your own.

How likely is it that I can get my student loan forgiven through PSLF?

A more recent GAO report reveals some pretty negative statistics concerning the likelihood of loan forgiveness through PSLF. Even with the recent implementation of the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, 99% of applications for TEPSLF made between May 2018 and May 2019 were rejected. So much for expanding the program.

Additionally, The Department of Education released a report showing that regular PSLF applications were also denied 99% of the time. So, while you don’t have to hire a third party to handle student loan relief, it definitely has its merits.

If you decide to use a student loan relief service, make sure they’re accredited, with a Better Business Bureau rating and good independent reviews online. You should also be wary of any company that charges fees upfront. You should only have to pay the service provider once you enroll and start saving.

Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation

With Federal Perkins Loans, the process of forgiveness is a bit different. If you work in certain career fields like teaching or nursing, you could have your Perkins Loans canceled. Your loans could be forgiven after a certain number of years of working full-time at a qualifying career. In some cases, you can even have your student loans discharged.

Unlike PSLF, Perkins Loan Cancellation begins when you start working. For most qualifying career paths, 15% of your loans are canceled in both your first and second years of employment, followed by 20% in your third and fourth years and 30% in your fifth year. You read that right – you could have 100% of your Perkins Loans forgiven. Read more about details and qualifications for Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation on the Federal Student Aid website.

You didn’t qualify for PSLF. Now what can you do?

If you were rejected from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, you may not have met all of the requirements. Either…

  1. Your student loans are not Federal Direct Loans,
  2. You did not work for a qualifying employer for the entire 10-year timespan, or
  3. You have not made 120 on-time, qualifying payments in a qualifying repayment plan.

If you’re sure you met all the requirements but still got denied, challenge the rejection by contacting FedLoan services. Keep your records from all 120 of your qualifying payments and use them as evidence.

Don’t let student let debt hold you back. Talk to a student loan debt professional today for expert advice on the best option to get out of student loan debt.

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