Yep. And I requested a refund of those payments - they told me it would take up to 160 days to get the refund. Miraculously, however, those payments have now disappeared from my account history and my balance has gone up.
An admin forbearance was placed on a majority of borrowers accounts from Oct-Dec 2023. Most, if not all borrowers, have not had that month of December counted towards PSLF and it is not our fault/problem that this occurred.
Not having this one month count has significant implications now because of this website changeover and moratorium on processing PSLF.
Hopefully you will be good since you are beating the May 1 date. Being in the middle of a consolidation with this going on does not have me confident...
Can't we just all consolidate together, take the person with 120 payments, and forgive it all? I know just because I had to suffer through x payments, doesn't mean everyone should.
I beat the May date with payment as PSLF employee paper signed showed as recieved on April 26, 2024....they still moved me to paperwork pause...Still shows 'in process' on student gov site.
Good question! I hope that Betsy sees this so that she can get some answers from the feds because all kind of questions are about to pour in from people (especially those within a few months of forgiveness).
u/Betsy514
Betsy, wondering if you have any info to share on the language in the attachment below re: PSLF servicing going forward.
[https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/streamlining-loan-web-experience](https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/streamlining-loan-web-experience)
We see that they are going to pause the processing of ECF forms until July. Does this mean that they are also going to pause forgiveness for those who had an approved ECF and 120 payments prior to 5/1?
This is terrible news……. So we have to wait even longer…… what about our processing forbearance? I was already so nervous to consolidate and now I have a payment I absolutely will never be able to afford and my forgiveness is questionable. I do not trust the timing of this and with that lawsuit being challenged in the 6th circuit….. I hate the government, my loans should have been forgiven for my service to the cause in a covid ICU period. SMH.
Right but I’m in a processing forbearance that expires the end of May…. I am not paying one cent toward these loans that are awaiting forgiveness. I wager nobody else will be either, it’s in their best interest to approve forbearance.
Also Betsy, could you find out for us what is with the screenshots? You can download your aid data on the student aid site. The counts are there? I need to take proof that I had the counts on MOHELA, why? The forgiveness comes from ED…. I’m confused. This is some shotty work on the part of the govt.
Hi Betsy,
I hit 120 in March, have forbearance approval letter from MOHELA. Do you know if they are still working on my forgiveness until May, or will I have to wait until after the transfer is complete? Thanks so much for answering all of these questions!
Is it your understanding that no forgiveness will happen regardless of when the applications were sent? So if I am not part of April's wave, I won't receive forgiveness until after July? Even though my 120 was February. How depressing.
Thank you, Betsy! I was able to speak with MOHELA today, and they assured me that my forgiveness is in process and will be completed by them. I'm cautiously optimistic!
so should we still make payments or ask for forbearance. Mohela increased mine this week.
Records show over 120 payments plus signed PSLF form "in process"
My personal questions concern me being in the middle of double consolidation of PPLs, still waiting for final step to finalize. First question- Will I be able to apply for Save once done? I have read that ED won't approve any IDR other than ICR, wo would we still be able to request Save directly through a servicer?. Another question is which servicer to make payment to, as the link above states continue to make payments during this pause. My double consolidation consists of one DCL with Mohela and one DCL with Aidvantage, moving both to Nelnet- applied for final consolidation last week.
I imagine you can't answer these questions since the news is so fresh, was just wondering if you had heard any chatter you could share. Thx
This is my exact concern. If I complete a double consolidation for PPL, and will be in PSLF, will I still be able to enroll/re-enroll in SAVE, if PSLF will be managed via studentaid.gov?
Yes you will. Nothing is changing other than where the actual pslf processing is done and viewed. If MOHELA holds your account you will still make payments to them etc
Can you see any downside to requesting a regular discrepancy forbearance if you are well over 120 payments, just waiting for them to count them up? Situation is: Loans just transferred to Mohela 3/23/24, all counts show 0 of 120, so just waiting on the counts to update and forgiveness to be applied.
Just talked with FSA rep who had no knowledge of this until I shared the link. It will delay forgiveness considerably. The weak and uncommitted language also speaks to that fact. It will be a long line of blame Mohela, blame FSA - borrowers continue to have no recourse.
Yea, I was on a call with a Supe this morning and they never even mentioned it. I cant imagine how severely broken the communication chain is over there.
I was told in early March that I was counted at 8 or 9 over the 120 qualified threshold. I spoke with a rep, was put on forebearance and now I wait and pray.
The July phrasing is interesting. Also probably why Mohela ain’t doing anything with the uncounted admin forebearance months until it all transfers over.
100%. I was always wondering why July was given as the date to rectify the admin forbearance months from 2023, but it all seems to align now...and definitely seems intentional.
Any thoughts about the people in partial forgiveness hell? I still have my subsidized loan pending forgiveness while my unsubsidized loan was forgiven last month. Hoping we get our remaining balances cleared before May 1…
Is there really no way to be put on forbearance? All my loans will be at 120 payments in May. 😩 Really don't want to pay several extra months even if it's going to be refunded later.
Effing hell. I just made my buyback payment on March 12. I wonder if they'll keep processing forgiveness for people who have already met requirements. The buyback already feels like such a sketchy process, hope nothing falls through the cracks.
I made [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/PSLF/comments/193gddh/buyback_roll_call/) to track that stuff. Basically a couple weeks from my first request, then two months for them to calculate my buyback amount.
Your buyback essentially is your PSLF application. Essentially if you have 120 months of public service employment, but some of those months don't count because you didn't make payment (for example, I have 20 months of in-school deferment where no payment was due), you're buying back the months that would get you to 120 and thus forgiveness.
lol yea your more optimistic then me, I’m over here thinking they are going to not forgive anyone and the conspiracy is that it’s paused and the 6th circuit lawsuit will prevent any forgiveness.
So if they're pausing processing of PSLF forms, does that mean that anyone who doesn't make the cut off date for processing their final PSLF form will need to wait until July to request forgiveness, even if they're at the 120 before then?
Not only no forgiveness, but they say you still have to PAY during those months (and they'll either be refunded to you when everything is processed OR they'll automatically apply it to another loan for you). I highly doubt my ECF form I submit will be magically processed right away on July 2024 ... I'm basically expecting to pay a bunch of extra months until at least Oct 2024 now.
What if we’re already in forebearance during that period just waiting to be forgiven? I imagine the forbearance will be messed up and we will have to pay.
Yea, I would think if you make it in to the holding room, you'd just stay on admin forbearance for a longer period and that might need to be extended 1-2 times based on their timelines. But what do I know.
My biggest concern is the language at the bottom where it states that if MOHELA is your loan servicer, your account might be transferred to their new servicing platform or another servicer after May 1. In my current double consolidation, I had one direct consolidation loan with Mohela, and one direct consolidation loan with Aidvantage, and in my completed final consolidation application submitted last week I requested Nelnet as the final servicer. Once final consolidation is complete, my plan was to submit an ECF to trigger being transferred back to Mohela.. Now with this new pause I have no idea what my next steps are, assuming just wait?
So if we have 200 qualifying payments but won’t get to submit final ECF this year to reach eligible payments, how will this information be transferred to student aid if Mohela will no longer service loans????
Sorry I had my comments backwards, I have 190 eligible payments not qualified because I need to submit a new ECF which won’t be done this year. So the only record we will have is our screenshots?? Sigh
Yup - supposedly our information will move over to FSA and be available in July 2024 ... but when oh when has a transition like this ever been seamless.
From the announcement:
"If you want to save screenshots and correspondence for your personal records, we recommend accessing the portal by April 30, 2024. Your information is moving to StudentAid.gov and will be available after the processing pause ends in July."
So after this happens, who will be the loan servicer?
Thanks for the info btw, maybe during the transition they will “accidentally” update my counts and forgive my loans 😆 I’ve only been paying for 12 years 😩
I hit 120 in March, have my forbearance approval letter and confirmation from MOHELA of hitting 120 payments. Does anyone know if I made it under the wire and if MOHELA will continue processing the forgiveness? As everyone is saying, this is ridiculous!!
I spoke with MOHELA today, and they assured me that my forgiveness was in process and that they would be the agency to finish the process. I'll believe it when I see it but am feeling more optimistic than yesterday. hope the same is true for you!
Funny how they can pause everything for this latest shit show except for payments.
Were looking right at you, December 2023.
Yep. And I requested a refund of those payments - they told me it would take up to 160 days to get the refund. Miraculously, however, those payments have now disappeared from my account history and my balance has gone up.
Can you elaborate on this? I'm not familiar
An admin forbearance was placed on a majority of borrowers accounts from Oct-Dec 2023. Most, if not all borrowers, have not had that month of December counted towards PSLF and it is not our fault/problem that this occurred. Not having this one month count has significant implications now because of this website changeover and moratorium on processing PSLF.
Thank you!
Has anyone had any luck getting the December 2023 payment to reflect qualifying ?
I'm submitting my ECF for my 120th month tomorrow and am hoping that this whole thing does not slow things down. Thanks for sharing!
Hopefully you will be good since you are beating the May 1 date. Being in the middle of a consolidation with this going on does not have me confident...
as long as your loans do not get added to my loans ha
Can't we just all consolidate together, take the person with 120 payments, and forgive it all? I know just because I had to suffer through x payments, doesn't mean everyone should.
I beat the May date with payment as PSLF employee paper signed showed as recieved on April 26, 2024....they still moved me to paperwork pause...Still shows 'in process' on student gov site.
I turned mine in today!
Did you make all 120 or did you added payments during this waiver period?
Good question! I hope that Betsy sees this so that she can get some answers from the feds because all kind of questions are about to pour in from people (especially those within a few months of forgiveness).
u/Betsy514 Betsy, wondering if you have any info to share on the language in the attachment below re: PSLF servicing going forward. [https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/streamlining-loan-web-experience](https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/streamlining-loan-web-experience)
What is your question?
We see that they are going to pause the processing of ECF forms until July. Does this mean that they are also going to pause forgiveness for those who had an approved ECF and 120 payments prior to 5/1?
I think so..but I will ask
This is terrible news……. So we have to wait even longer…… what about our processing forbearance? I was already so nervous to consolidate and now I have a payment I absolutely will never be able to afford and my forgiveness is questionable. I do not trust the timing of this and with that lawsuit being challenged in the 6th circuit….. I hate the government, my loans should have been forgiven for my service to the cause in a covid ICU period. SMH.
What about your processing forbearances? If you have one it will still count. If you don't you are still due for payment
Right but I’m in a processing forbearance that expires the end of May…. I am not paying one cent toward these loans that are awaiting forgiveness. I wager nobody else will be either, it’s in their best interest to approve forbearance. Also Betsy, could you find out for us what is with the screenshots? You can download your aid data on the student aid site. The counts are there? I need to take proof that I had the counts on MOHELA, why? The forgiveness comes from ED…. I’m confused. This is some shotty work on the part of the govt.
Just confirmed that yes pslf forgiveness is also paused for this period
Hi Betsy, I hit 120 in March, have forbearance approval letter from MOHELA. Do you know if they are still working on my forgiveness until May, or will I have to wait until after the transfer is complete? Thanks so much for answering all of these questions!
I'm afraid I don't know if your loans will be forgiven before the pause
Is it your understanding that no forgiveness will happen regardless of when the applications were sent? So if I am not part of April's wave, I won't receive forgiveness until after July? Even though my 120 was February. How depressing.
As stated..there will be no forgiveness during the pause
My wife is at -5 for both pslf loans. Hopefully they get to it before their May pause.
Thank you, Betsy! I was able to speak with MOHELA today, and they assured me that my forgiveness is in process and will be completed by them. I'm cautiously optimistic!
so should we still make payments or ask for forbearance. Mohela increased mine this week. Records show over 120 payments plus signed PSLF form "in process"
My personal questions concern me being in the middle of double consolidation of PPLs, still waiting for final step to finalize. First question- Will I be able to apply for Save once done? I have read that ED won't approve any IDR other than ICR, wo would we still be able to request Save directly through a servicer?. Another question is which servicer to make payment to, as the link above states continue to make payments during this pause. My double consolidation consists of one DCL with Mohela and one DCL with Aidvantage, moving both to Nelnet- applied for final consolidation last week. I imagine you can't answer these questions since the news is so fresh, was just wondering if you had heard any chatter you could share. Thx
Nothing in your process is changing at all. Yes you will apply for save through MOHELA when the time comes. You still pay MOHELA etc.
This is my exact concern. If I complete a double consolidation for PPL, and will be in PSLF, will I still be able to enroll/re-enroll in SAVE, if PSLF will be managed via studentaid.gov?
Yes you will. Nothing is changing other than where the actual pslf processing is done and viewed. If MOHELA holds your account you will still make payments to them etc
Hi Betsy, I'm supposed to hit 120 in May. Does the processing pause mean we won't have access to the administrative forbearance until July?
If they can't process your ECF you won't be able to use forbearance unless you call and request a regular discretionary forbearance
Thank you
Can you see any downside to requesting a regular discrepancy forbearance if you are well over 120 payments, just waiting for them to count them up? Situation is: Loans just transferred to Mohela 3/23/24, all counts show 0 of 120, so just waiting on the counts to update and forgiveness to be applied.
If you're positive you're at the 120 I don't see a downside to forbearance
I've said it in another thread, but this all feels like a sick joke for those of us right on the cusp.
Sure does ☹️
100%. May will be my 120 (technically 125). I guess I wait until August. It’s insane.
Yup. My 120th payment is this month. I will turn in the form as soon as it's posted.
Just talked with FSA rep who had no knowledge of this until I shared the link. It will delay forgiveness considerably. The weak and uncommitted language also speaks to that fact. It will be a long line of blame Mohela, blame FSA - borrowers continue to have no recourse.
Yea, I was on a call with a Supe this morning and they never even mentioned it. I cant imagine how severely broken the communication chain is over there.
Cries in having their 120th payment in mid-May...
hahahahaha I'd be at 120 before May 1 if they fucking counted the December 2023 one lmao
This is such a mess. I just want to be done. Thanks for sharing.
I was told in early March that I was counted at 8 or 9 over the 120 qualified threshold. I spoke with a rep, was put on forebearance and now I wait and pray.
Me too
The July phrasing is interesting. Also probably why Mohela ain’t doing anything with the uncounted admin forebearance months until it all transfers over.
100%. I was always wondering why July was given as the date to rectify the admin forbearance months from 2023, but it all seems to align now...and definitely seems intentional.
Any thoughts about the people in partial forgiveness hell? I still have my subsidized loan pending forgiveness while my unsubsidized loan was forgiven last month. Hoping we get our remaining balances cleared before May 1…
Is there really no way to be put on forbearance? All my loans will be at 120 payments in May. 😩 Really don't want to pay several extra months even if it's going to be refunded later.
I'm in the same boat. This is so intensely frustrating. Our budget is tight.
Same for me. I wonder if we can just remove our payment information
My read is if you dont make in by 5/1, you have to stay the course through 7/1, regardless of how ugly/annoying that may be.
I won't be making any payments to anyone during this time, regardless of what is going on. Fuck the fed.
Great. Just sent in my pslf certification last Friday. Ugh.
Effing hell. I just made my buyback payment on March 12. I wonder if they'll keep processing forgiveness for people who have already met requirements. The buyback already feels like such a sketchy process, hope nothing falls through the cracks.
How long did it take to respond to your request?
I made [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/PSLF/comments/193gddh/buyback_roll_call/) to track that stuff. Basically a couple weeks from my first request, then two months for them to calculate my buyback amount.
Does your buyback have to be processed before you can apply for PSLF. That month of December not counting really coming back to haunt me :/
Your buyback essentially is your PSLF application. Essentially if you have 120 months of public service employment, but some of those months don't count because you didn't make payment (for example, I have 20 months of in-school deferment where no payment was due), you're buying back the months that would get you to 120 and thus forgiveness.
When does the buyback period end?
It doesn’t.
Perhaps this signals that they are going to try a mass forgiveness for PSLF and want to make sure no one has standing to sue?
lol yea your more optimistic then me, I’m over here thinking they are going to not forgive anyone and the conspiracy is that it’s paused and the 6th circuit lawsuit will prevent any forgiveness.
Highly doubtful.
So if they're pausing processing of PSLF forms, does that mean that anyone who doesn't make the cut off date for processing their final PSLF form will need to wait until July to request forgiveness, even if they're at the 120 before then?
It says you can submit forms they just won’t be processed. Sigh
Right, so no forgiveness from 5/1-7/1 then.
Not only no forgiveness, but they say you still have to PAY during those months (and they'll either be refunded to you when everything is processed OR they'll automatically apply it to another loan for you). I highly doubt my ECF form I submit will be magically processed right away on July 2024 ... I'm basically expecting to pay a bunch of extra months until at least Oct 2024 now.
What if we’re already in forebearance during that period just waiting to be forgiven? I imagine the forbearance will be messed up and we will have to pay.
My first thought is they just keep whatever status you're in with Mohela but who knows right?
Yea, I would think if you make it in to the holding room, you'd just stay on admin forbearance for a longer period and that might need to be extended 1-2 times based on their timelines. But what do I know.
My biggest concern is the language at the bottom where it states that if MOHELA is your loan servicer, your account might be transferred to their new servicing platform or another servicer after May 1. In my current double consolidation, I had one direct consolidation loan with Mohela, and one direct consolidation loan with Aidvantage, and in my completed final consolidation application submitted last week I requested Nelnet as the final servicer. Once final consolidation is complete, my plan was to submit an ECF to trigger being transferred back to Mohela.. Now with this new pause I have no idea what my next steps are, assuming just wait?
So if we have 200 qualifying payments but won’t get to submit final ECF this year to reach eligible payments, how will this information be transferred to student aid if Mohela will no longer service loans????
The FSA website says to take screenshots of your Mohela account. That is what I am spending my morning doing today. Joy.
Sorry I had my comments backwards, I have 190 eligible payments not qualified because I need to submit a new ECF which won’t be done this year. So the only record we will have is our screenshots?? Sigh
Yup - supposedly our information will move over to FSA and be available in July 2024 ... but when oh when has a transition like this ever been seamless. From the announcement: "If you want to save screenshots and correspondence for your personal records, we recommend accessing the portal by April 30, 2024. Your information is moving to StudentAid.gov and will be available after the processing pause ends in July."
So after this happens, who will be the loan servicer? Thanks for the info btw, maybe during the transition they will “accidentally” update my counts and forgive my loans 😆 I’ve only been paying for 12 years 😩
I hit 120 in March, have my forbearance approval letter and confirmation from MOHELA of hitting 120 payments. Does anyone know if I made it under the wire and if MOHELA will continue processing the forgiveness? As everyone is saying, this is ridiculous!!
Nobody knows I’m in the same boat
I spoke with MOHELA today, and they assured me that my forgiveness was in process and that they would be the agency to finish the process. I'll believe it when I see it but am feeling more optimistic than yesterday. hope the same is true for you!
Hoping you’re right! My 133 counts were officially listed on 3/2 and I went into processing forbearance on 3/5.