The first wave of 90 day deadlines is here.
Please comment if you passed your deadline without choosing a plan and were forced off
SAVE.
A lot of chatter about this but no confirmation of what’s happened.

I’m sure the answer is no but I’m really freaking annoyed that I signed up for autopay back in June and it has yet to kick in! I know it says “it could take 2-3 billing cycles” but it’s been 4 and it still hasn’t kicked in. It’s like they want you to accidentally make a second payment towards your loans cuz your stuck in limbo wondering if it will work. Worst part is that they report you as a missed payment if you forget to catch that their autopay didn’t work! How is that fair?! Tanked my score like 100 points over night because of this! I hate Mohela.

Anyone else struggling with this? Want to band together and try and sue? If only!

Entered university with the winds at my back and a stellar scholarship. 07/08 financial crash hit and my parents lost enough that they couldn't support my schooling anymore but had made too much prior to get me a good govt loan package. Transfer scholarships were worse than staying put. Enter private loans and an ignorant 19 year old signing the dotted lines (and later an expensive masters before my doctorate)!

$122,203.78 at 5.46% (following a mid 2010s consolidation).

BUT TODAY THE SHACKLES ARE GONE! Just made one last big blast at the loan to clear her away for good. No fireworks, no confetti. Just me, my dogs, and soon a nice coffee in my PJs at 7am as the sun rises.

Just wanted to say thank you to this sub for continuing to give great advice and motivation to keep going. ❤️

I paid them off! With SAVE ending (got my 90 days email) my >2K loan balance I was leaving be to see what would happen with litigation and interest growing I kept worrying and worrying about remembering to start paying again or select a new plan or what have you I figured I would just get off the crazy train, bite the bullet, and be done with it. It is a relief not to worry about but hasn’t really registered. Nevermore, Mohela! When I mention it to others they seem to think it‘s a big deal, but honestly I had the savings (and still have more so that’s all ok)- it was pretty spur of the moment. Can anyone else relate?

90 day notice:

I was curious as to what the 90 day notice has looked like for anyone that has received it?

Was it an email, physical mail, or through your providers site?

Chat Transcripts:

Also, a side note, Nelnet used to provide chat transcripts for conversations you have with them.

They don’t do it anymore, so make sure you save them yourself if you get any important info in a chat conversation

I had to make the decision to leave IBR and I feel absolutely bamboozled. My new payment was going to be $460. From $287 due to an increase in income. Ok fine but I was absolutely panicked. Then I saw if I went to extended fixed, my payments would be $360. That sounded a lot better and the option for standard repayment was the exact same amount so I clicked standard. It took over a month for them to process the application and now my payments are $490 for 10 years 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 what happened to the $360 I was shown?!? I just feel absolutely tricked 😩 Thankfully I was able to play with my budget and stay out of the red but I literally have no wiggle room now.

So I am noting this to see if others are having issues, but also to create a record in case there is a lawsuit. Initially, over 2 months ago, I logged into studentaid.gov because I had been getting notices about the SAVE plan ending and that I would need to sign up for another plan or I would automatically be enrolled in a default plan. Due to many problems listed below, I also filed applications for the borrower defense program. I selected an IDR plan, and I am also on the PSLF (be careful if you go in to do this, as there is an easily missed checkbox that you need to check). I was also given the option when signing up for the new IDR PSLF plan that I could wait to start my payments until January, and that was great because right now I also have a medical bill that needs to be paid. Then two days later, I logged into Mohela, and it said 160 (ish) dollars was due in a couple of days (on the 17th). After filling out the borrower defense applications (a day or two), I logged back into Mohela, and it said only $ 30-something was due. This was August 2026. I paid it immediately and then called Mohela to ask questions. I wanted to know why payments were due even though I had selected to wait until January (and I was given no notice either; emails said that $0 was due). The lady was not helpful and just kept repeating that payments were due, and that $ 160-something was due. She never gave any other answers despite me asking why payments were due, and why only $30 dollars at this time, etc.

History: My financial aid has been a mess since it started back in about 2006 (ish). I was in the military and was honorably discharged; however, my GI Bill was not honored due to the code used on my honorable discharge (problem 1) that was changed later for people under the same discharge. The college I was attending at the time (problem(s) 2) was also not very honorable and used a quarter system that, at the time, I did not completely understand. They kept pushing me to enroll in more credits even though my financial aid was not enough and talked me into enrolling in more credits and extending me a loan (outside financial aid) themselves. This was Devry Online. Even though I was asking specific questions about the number of credits needed to maintain a minimum amount and still qualify for full-time financial aid, they would not answer my questions and would deflect. If I lowered the credits I signed up for, they would caution that I may be below the amount required to maintain full-time status. The truth was, I was doing double time and running a massive debt with the school on top of student loans. When it came time for me to take my final classes, DeVry denied me, saying I owed them money (something I did not expect). I had to pay them back while paying on my student loans, supporting myself, and working as a waiter in a small town. I was not able to graduate because of this; the degree would have been a master's in Health and Information Technologies.

The second college I attended was Globe University, a college that is now defunct (problem 3), for a medical degree in Massage therapy. On top of having accreditation issues (unknown at the time) and closing, they also did not pursue my GI Bill, nor assist with the FAFSA despite me asking for help. Therefore, I did not receive grants I qualified for or military assistance. I also had life issues and needed to change colleges for a time. The third college was UW Superior, and this time, the college did help. I attended for Behavioral Psychology. I got my grants and my military assistance, but not retroactively. I also attended Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College for nursing and received grants and military assistance. I then picked up at Globe University again and finally graduated with a medical science degree and a massage therapy certification. Shortly after graduation, Globe University closed due to accreditation issues and other problems.

While I was in college, I was working at a non-profit group home for special needs adults. I started in nov 2015. This was initially just to get by in school, but I stayed after I graduated and stayed until spring 2025. I got into the PSLF program (because it was a nonprofit) and an income-driven repayment plan (because nonprofits often pay very little). This also motivated me to stay, as I liked the job, and I viewed the lower pay as my contribution to my student loans and community. This nonprofit received funds from the state (as it is cheaper than institutionalising them and it gives them more independance/freedom). I have never been late on a single payment.

The first year and a half at my job was not counted because it was considered the grace period after graduation before loans start in repayment. Trump put things on hold years ago as I was on the SAVE plan, and this administration has ended that (so the time I have put into the job since then has not counted). This leaves me with 2.5 years yet to fulfil the PSLF, even though it should only be a few months. That said, the first paragraph highlights the issues I am currently having after all of that. I am now paying on my student loans; however, Mohela did not withdraw the correct amount in September. They withdrew the $30 payment correctly but not the other $130 payment. For some reason, they split my student loans. This means they had the correct bank information and I updated them correctly, but for some reason they tried to charge the $130 to an old, closed account. I immediately logged into Mohela to check on it, but there was no record or mention of the $130 payment; it was just gone. There was no pending notification, no payment due notification, nothing. So when it didn't clear my bank, I called to check (2 days later). That's when I was told about the old account, and she told me she would fix it and apply the payment. The payment never applied. The next week, I manually went in and paid the amount, and Mohela finally had it on my account that an amount was due and was late.

Hi!

tldr; desperate youngish mom pls help me not break the law while being able to continue school lol

Okay I learned a couple things about student loans from this sub:
1. I can’t use a federal student loan to pay off a personal loan
2. I could, however, use a federal student loan to pay my rent, as that’s cost of living/attendance or whatever. Then, I can pay personal loans with my own money

Howeverrrrr

I don’t have a rent. I inherited a “small” mortgage. Can I similarly use my student loans to pay my monthly mortgage payment? as that is the cost of my housing which I need I am hoping the answer is yes 😅

Relevant details:
Mortgage payment for 2bd house is substantially less than renting a studio or 1bd in my area (Southern California) would be, so selling and renting wouldn’t help this situation.

I am on a fixed income, bringing home $2060 a month untaxed as of April 2026. I have a 5yo daughter. I am taking 18 credits this semester. Have all A’s since coming back to college in spring (after 9 years away). I file taxes head of household with one dependent, my daughter.

I am trying to focus on staying in school about 18c a semester. If I were to continue this way, I could have my masters in 4 years. If I have to go back to working full time, it’ll take me like a million years.

Please ask me anything else that I should have mentioned, but I didn’t think of. I’ve been up since 3am, now it’s 4am, trying to figure out what I am going to do. 😩

I was on the save plan for a while and then got put on another repayment plan when save got cut. I’ve been owing about $50 every month on this new plan but I got an email saying my next payment will be $300. I go to edfinancial and it says my next payment is my usual $50. I go to studentaid website and it says I owe $37 and that my monthly payment should be $7. im so lost as to what’s happening and why I’m getting such different numbers. I thought maybe the $50 is leftover from the save plan but even when I applied to the new repayment plan It says I would owe about $50. I wish I had screenshots from everything I did but unfortunately I don’t. Does anyone have any insight on what I should do? any tips on forgiveness since Ive had no communication?

I'm a first-generation college student, graduated in May, and my monthly loan payment will be almost $1,600 starting in December. I have $20,000 in federal loans that I qualify for IDR, but I owe $117,000 to Sallie Mae. I also have one other private loan. Sallie Mae accepted me for the Graduated Repayment Plan for a year of interest-only payments, but that will only lower it to about $1,300 a month. I will take what I can get, but I just got an insurance job (my degree was in screenwriting) so that I can make the payments, but that's the only thing I'll be able to do in my life if I don't get the monthly payment down. Any advice? Workarounds that worked? Hail Marys from lenders? I live at home, but I ideally want to move out so I can get a better job in the field my degree is in, so lowering that monthly payment would make that slightly possible. No one in my life has any financial literacy when it comes to this, including me. Open to anything!

My fiancé’s loan is about 360k with about 40k uncapitalized interest. Legacy borrow from before 2012.

His income is 170-180k.

About five years into repayment on PAYE based on an old income (haven’t been required to recert yet) so payment is not covering interest. (Hence the large amount of uncapitalized interest).

We need to make headway. Non PSLF. Don’t know where to start. PAYE is obviously the smaller monthly payment if we recert. But, not sure the payment will cover interest due to the size of the balance, so we think that this would balloon the balance more. Am I thinking about this correctly?

RAP has a higher monthly payment but we fear the interest capitalization. The answer is unclear everywhere. I did find that time in PAYE will count toward RAP so we’re sitting around 25 years on the clock now. His income also will rise, it won’t skyrocket, but it will rise over time. As a result, it doesn’t matter about the payment cap on PAYE since his standard payment plan would be over 4k a month- which we can’t do right now.

We don’t know which avenue to go down- and at the same time having to save for some of the tax bomb in 25 years. And we need to buy a house 🫠

I'm looking for honest advice from people who understand nontraditional premeds, post-bacc programs, medical school financing, and career changes. I'm not looking for generic “follow your dreams” advice. I want to understand whether becoming a physician is realistically possible for someone in my financial position, or whether nursing is the smarter move.

My background

• I'm 27 and have a bachelor's degree in Somatic Psychology from Western Washington University.
• My undergraduate GPA was around 3.3. I've since completed nursing prerequisites at community college with a reported 3.78 GPA.
• I've completed A&P I and II, but still need chemistry and microbiology. I haven't taken the MCAT.
• I currently work as a food runner at , a three-Michelin-star restaurant in San Francisco, earning roughly $80k/year before taxes.
• I want to transition into a stable professional career with meaningful work, a strong identity, and good long-term earning potential.

My financial situation

• Approximately $20k in undergraduate federal student loans, plus around $10k in other education-related/private debt.
• Credit score around 640.
• Approximately $1k in savings.
• I have no reliable family financial support. My guardians might potentially co-sign private loans, but I don't know whether they'd be comfortable taking on that risk. I don't want to jeopardize their financial security if I couldn't finish school.
• I would need substantial funding for tuition and living expenses if I went back to school full-time.

Option 1: Premed post-bacc to U.S. medical school

I'm looking at several possibilities:

• SFSU's career-changer premed post-bacc attractive because I live in the Bay Area and it may be more affordable than some private programs.
• California Health Sciences University (CHSU) I'm interested in its DO program and want to understand how realistic admission and financing would be.
• Bryn Mawr or Goucher I'm wondering whether I could be a competitive applicant for these more established post-bacc programs, and whether their advising, academic support, MCAT preparation, committee letters, and medical-school placement outcomes would meaningfully increase my chances of acceptance.

I'm willing to work hard and take the longer route if I have a realistic shot. But I'm worried about borrowing heavily for a two-year post-bacc and then discovering I cannot finance medical school.

I understand that attending a prestigious post-bacc does not guarantee medical-school admission. I'm trying to determine whether the additional cost of a program like Bryn Mawr or Goucher is justified by its support and outcomes, especially for a career changer with my academic background.

Option 2: ABSN

The alternative is an accelerated BSN. One program I'm considering could put my total debt and financing burden at approximately $125k–$130k, including existing debt and estimated living expenses.

That is a significant amount, but it could give me a professional credential and a relatively direct route to earning a good income in California. I would verify California licensure eligibility, actual costs, and employment outcomes before committing.

I could see myself enjoying emergency nursing, but I worry that if I never seriously try to become a physician, I'll regret it later.

Questions I'd appreciate candid answers to

1. With my credit score, existing debt, and limited savings, is it realistic to finance a post-bacc and then medical school? Would I likely need a strong co-signer for private loans?
2. Given the federal student loan changes taking effect in 2026, how are career changers realistically financing post-bacc programs and medical school?
3. Is SFSU a sensible, lower-cost option for someone in my position, or would Bryn Mawr or Goucher meaningfully improve my chances enough to justify the extra expense?
4. With an approximately 3.3 undergraduate GPA and a 3.78 recent community college GPA, is admission to Bryn Mawr or Goucher realistic? What would make me a competitive applicant?
5. How should I evaluate CHSU's DO program in terms of admissions, total cost, financing, and outcomes?
6. Is it financially reckless to start a post-bacc without already having a credible plan for financing medical school?
7. Would an ABSN be the more rational choice given my financial situation, assuming I would be willing to work as a nurse long-term?
8. If you were in my position, what would you do?

I know I haven't taken the MCAT or established that I can get into medical school. I'm trying to figure out whether this is a realistic path worth pursuing before committing years and potentially a huge amount of money.

I'd appreciate especially hearing from nontraditional students, career changers, people who attended these post-bacc programs, and anyone who financed medical school without wealthy parents.

Please be honest. I'd rather make a difficult but informed decision now than take on debt I can't manage.

I’m feeling really lost and overwhelmed about my financial future and would appreciate some honest advice, especially from anyone who’s dealt with a large amount of student loan debt without finishing their degree.

I attended a doctoral level healthcare professional program but was academically dismissed after experiencing severe physical health problems that significantly affected my academic performance.

Since then, I’ve received a diagnosis for my physical health condition and am now receiving treatment. My health has improved significantly, and I genuinely believe I could succeed academically if given another opportunity.

However, I’m now left with approximately $200k in federal student loans without a professional degree.

My current loan situation:
Total balance: approximately $200k across 19 federal loans
Interest rates: 2.75%–9.08%
Loan types: Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Grad PLUS
Loan servicer: Edfinancial
Repayment plan: Currently listed under SAVE
Loan status: Forbearance

I’m currently unemployed with no income and have been actively searching for work. I’ve applied to numerous medical assistant and various tech positions, as well as local minimum wage jobs, but haven’t had any luck. I managed to get one interview for an ophthalmic technician position, but they ultimately went with another candidate.

I’m interested in working for the government or a qualifying nonprofit employer to pursue PSLF, but I’m unsure what jobs I would realistically qualify for with a bachelor’s degree in biology, some graduate level healthcare education, and clinical experience.

Government jobs also seem extremely competitive, and I’m already struggling to get hired for entry level positions.

I’m also torn about my long term career. Part of me wants to reapply to the doctoral level healthcare program I previously attended because I’m genuinely passionate about the field. However, that could mean another four years of school and significantly more debt.

Alternatively, I’ve considered pursuing a different healthcare profession that requires less time in school but would still involve additional education, competitive admissions, and more student loans.

My third option would be to stop pursuing professional school altogether and focus on finding stable employment, ideally with a PSLF qualifying employer, to manage my existing debt.

I’d really appreciate advice on:
1. With approximately $200k in federal student loans, no professional degree, and currently no income, what would be the smartest approach to repayment?

1. With SAVE ending, which income driven repayment options should I look into? I’m currently showing a $0 monthly payment and forbearance, but I’m unsure what to expect next.

2. Is PSLF a realistic strategy for someone in my situation? What entry level government or nonprofit jobs should I consider with a bachelor’s degree in biology, some graduate level healthcare education, and clinical experience?

3. Has anyone successfully gotten PSLF through a nonclinical position, such as hospital admin, patient registration, or government office work?

4. If I can’t find qualifying employment for PSLF, are there other realistic federal loan forgiveness or income-driven repayment options for someone with my balance and limited earning potential?

5. Would it be financially irresponsible to take on additional loans for another professional degree, even if graduating could significantly increase my earning potential?

6. Are there federal student loan borrowing limits or restrictions that could prevent me from financing another professional program?

7. If you were in my position, would you prioritize finding a PSLF qualifying job, returning to professional school, or pursuing another career path entirely?

I genuinely want to build a stable future and eventually become financially independent. I’m scared that without a higher paying career, I’ll never be able to repay this debt, but I’m equally scared of taking on more loans and making my situation worse.

I’m open to honest advice, even if it’s difficult to hear.

I didn't submit a different income, if anything I am making slightly less. I know you typically have to re-certify right? so I went to re-certify and it is still making me "choose" the plan with more than double the monthly payment. So now I am thinking this isn't just about me re entering my salary, but that the IDR plan is just raising in general. Is this correct?

Hey everyone, I have $130,000 in federal student loans from grad school. I’m a forensic social worker and worked at a nonprofit after grad school for 5 years, but for the last year I’ve been in court consulting, so I technically don’t qualify for the loan forgiveness. Obviously, as a social worker (and living in nyc) I hardly had money to pay off loans, so they went into default. A few months ago, I started Loan Rehabilitation (6 months and it comes off your credit score, apparently) and when I began the LR, I also sent letters to all three business bureau stating that my student loans were impacting my credit score to the point where it was greatly impacting my ability to qualify for different loans, etc. I checked my loans yesterday (on studentaid.gov) to see when my next LR payment is due and it’s saying I’m at $0, that I don’t owe anything, and that the dept of education paid for the loan. I can’t for the life of me remember if I applied for the borrower defense program. Does this mean they’ve likely gone into collections even though I was in the middle of LR?

My recertification date isn’t until October of 2027. So does this mean I don’t actually have to do anything or pay anything until that point?

At that point, I will be 24 years post my graduate degree.

I was given the 30 day extension and it went from 11/11 to 12/11 then 2 days ago it switched back to the original date. I only knew about it bc I got a vm that said I had less than 30 days. Anyone else?

Also have a friend who looked at the 10 year fixed, at 6% interest in 86k and the numbers were way over what it should be.

So, I got my email a few weeks ago for SAVE ending and to pick a new plan. Got until after Thanksgiving for the 90 day deadline to end.

My question is: If I stick with the standard plan, do I need to do anything?

Using the Calculator of the StudentAid website, I found the Standard plan to be the cheapest I can afford. But that plan can automatically start without me doing anything?

(I’m part of MOHELA if that means anything.)

Anyone able to get a forbearance after switching off SAVE? My son has expensive Dr bills and I want to get them paid down before worrying about these stupid loans. I know the interest will accrue but I don’t care. I am supposed to pick a plan in Nov.

I recently switched to the new RAP plan with Nelnet, and I’m already running into problems.

I made my regular payment in September, assuming that would be my last payment before RAP kicked in. I was approved for $10 monthly payments, with the plan taking effect on October 9th, and my Auto Debit was originally showing that payments would begin on October 10th.

However, when I checked my account around October 12th, it suddenly showed that I owed $0 and that my next Auto Debit wouldn’t happen until August 2027! This made absolutely no sense to me because my RAP payment is supposed to be $10 a month.

I emailed Nelnet asking what was going on, but all I got was a generic response telling me to call them.

Now, I live in Japan, so calling Nelnet is extremely inconvenient because of the time difference. I had to call late at night, around the time I’d normally be going to bed. Getting through their automated verification system was also frustrating, especially when it started asking for my ZIP code, and I wasn’t sure whether it wanted my old American ZIP code or my Japanese postal code.

Anyway, I eventually managed to speak with a representative. He told me he made some kind of adjustment to my Auto Debit enrollment that should fix the problem, but that it could take approximately two weeks to process.

While I had him on the phone, I also asked about something I’ve seen people discussing on this subreddit regarding RAP’s interest benefits and Auto Debit.

Specifically, I asked whether there was a possibility of losing the interest benefits if an automatic payment didn’t process on time because the payment date fell on a weekend or there was some kind of processing delay.

He assured me that as long as Auto Debit was enabled, I would still receive the benefits. He said the benefits might not appear immediately, but that I shouldn’t worry about losing them because of processing delays.

I’m not entirely sure how much I trust that answer, especially after reading some of the experiences people have shared here.

My other concern is the interest that’s continuing to accumulate while all of this gets sorted out. I’ve already accumulated approximately $100 in interest since my last payment, and the representative told me that once everything was processed in about two weeks, RAP’s interest benefit should take care of it.

Again, I’ll believe that when I actually see it happen.

The reason I’m particularly concerned about this is that I’ve spent a long time paying down thousands of dollars in interest that had accumulated on my loans over the years. I finally managed to get rid of all that accumulated interest, and the last thing I want is to watch it build up again.

I’m seriously considering making another payment this month just to keep the interest under control. The representative told me that making an additional payment now wouldn’t interfere with my RAP benefits once everything was properly processed, but I’m still somewhat skeptical.

It’s just frustrating because I switched to RAP expecting things to start working in October, and now I’m having to chase Nelnet around just to get my payments set up correctly.

My advice to anyone switching to RAP is to keep a very close eye on your account. Don’t automatically assume everything is working correctly just because you’ve been approved. If something looks wrong, you might have to call them to get it straightened out.

I owe about 68k fed loans… all different interest rates from 2-7

I feel like around covid it was only 62, then I stopped paying like an idiot because I thought I was getting SAVE and the plan was just make payments but as little as possible

Now, I have read all kinds of things. I am thinking the one thing sticking out is the “if they do something about this, the people who willingly jumped ship to stay ahead or do the right thing, may end up worse off - just because they have willingly chose to switch” - so first - I don’t know if this has any factual information or not..

My wife just finished her student loans last year from pslf- All 110k for her masters wiped out! Happy days… but that leaves even more disposable income because we filed jointly for the first time in 11 years of marriage because of her loans being forgiven - thinking I was good on SAVE…

Now I think I need to file separately early next year then reapply for a plan while filing separately

Is this something I can do and should do? What’s the pros and cons?

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!!

Anybody get approved for TPD Discharge today? I've heard a few people say they've gotten the approval email earlier today. People that applied in March and August got approved.

https://www.reddit.com/r/debtfree/s/eThzMf36pQ

Finally debt-free today. 🎉

Made my very last payment of $8,647.60, and Dobby is officially FREE.

I borrowed nearly $220K from Prodigy Finance on a variable-rate loan, and at one point, the interest rate climbed to a whopping 11%. I paid a total of $70k in interest alone. Yes just interest.

Paid off every single dollar with my corporate salary. No windfall, no shortcuts. Just years of hard work, discipline, and showing up.

And now, I’m finally DONE.

Mic drop. 🎤