Federal Student Loan Debt Relief Plan

The Department of Education is not currently accepting applications for the student debt relief program. Congress recently passed a law preventing further extensions of the payment pause. You are encouraged to sign up for federal updates.

Student loan interest will resume starting on September 1, 2023, and payments will be due starting in October. Your loan servicer will contact you directly before payments restart.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the Federal Student Loan Debt Relief Plan on August 24, 2022. The plan includes multiple components and this page will be updated as more details of the plan emerge.

The Federal Student Loan Debt Relief Plan includes the extension of the student loan repayment pause through December 31, 2022. Payments will resume in January 2023. For more information about the program visit studentaid.gov. You may also sign up to be notified when the application is open at ed.gov/subscriptions. The plan also includes loan forgiveness for borrowers who meet the criteria below.

What is Student Loan Debt Relief?

Students and parents who have borrowed federal undergraduate, graduate, and Parent PLUS loans that have been fully disbursed by June 30, 2022, may be eligible for a one-time debt cancellation. The U.S. Department of Education plans to provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to PELL-Grant recipients and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-PELL Grant recipients. Students can check their student history and PELL Grant recipient status by logging into their federal student aid account at studentaid.gov.

Who is eligible?
  • To be eligible, your annual income must be lower than $125,000 (for individuals) or $250,000 (for married couples or heads of households).
  • If you received a Pell Grant in college and meet the income threshold, you may be eligible for up to $20,000 in debt cancellation.
  • If you did not receive a Pell Grant in college and meet the income threshold, you may be eligible for up to $10,000 in debt cancellation.

Current students may be automatically eligible to receive debt relief if you filed a FAFSA. because the Department of Education may already have your income information.

If the Department of Education does not have your income information, you may submit application that will be available in early October.

What do I need to do now?
  • Log into your Federal Student Aid account to check your Federal loan and PELL Grant recipient. status. Make sure your contact information is up to date. You can create an account at studentaid.gov.
  • Sign up for notifications at the Department of Education subscription page.
  • All federal loan borrowers are encouraged to apply before November 15, 2022 to receive relief before the payment pause expires on December 31, 2022.
Where can I find more information?