The Trump administration continues to move slowly in processing a massive backlog of applications from hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers seeking debt forgiveness or an affordable repayment plan, a new court filing shows.
As of the end of November, 802,730 requests to transfer into an income-driven repayment plan remain pending with the U.S. Department of Education. IDR plans limit a borrower’s monthly bill to a share of their discretionary income and cancel any remaining debt after a certain period, typically 20 years or 25 years.
Another 80,210 applications were still under review with the agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Buyback. That program allows certain public servants with 120 months of qualifying public service employment to retroactively pay for any months they missed because of a forbearance or deferment.
Just 170 student loan borrowers enrolled in an IDR plan had their debt canceled during November, the agency reported, with 280 discharges issued for the month under PSLF.
“At this rate, they will never fully clear the backlog,” said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.
