The Education Department announced an extension on a key student loan forgiveness deadline: Borrowers now have through June 30, previously April 30, to consolidate certain types of federal student loans to qualify for the one-time income-driven repayment (IDR) account adjustment. The account adjustment, previously slated to wrap up by July 1, is now set to be implemented sometime in September 2024.
The Biden administration has already forgiven over $45 billion in student loans for nearly one million borrowers through a one-time account adjustment to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. If you've been faithfully repaying your student loans for at least 10 years, you could be next in line for this substantial relief—but you'll need to act fast.
What is the student loan forgiveness deadline?
The Education Department has now announced June 30, 2024 as the cutoff to consolidate certain types of federal loans and enroll in an IDR plan in order to maximize the benefits of this one-time account adjustment. Borrowers who miss this deadline may still receive some credit for past payments, but will not get the full forgiveness that's possible by meeting the June 30 consolidation requirement.
Specifically, borrowers with commercially held FFEL, Perkins, or HEAL loans, as well as those with a mix of loan types, will need to consolidate into a new Direct Consolidation Loan by the deadline. This ensures their repayment history on the oldest underlying loans is fully counted toward forgiveness.
The IDR account adjustment only applies to loans consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan. These types of loans require immediate consolidation to qualify for this upcoming IDR account adjustment:
Commercially held FFELP loans
Commercially held Perkins loans
HEAL loans
Parent PLUS loans in repayment for less than 25 years (or less than 10 years, if eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness)
Direct loans with different past payment counts
If your loans aren’t on this list, you probably don’t need to take action right now. If your loans are on the list above, read on to learn what steps you should take ASAP.
How to get loan forgiveness this year
To access the application, go to StudentAid.gov/loan-consolidation. The online form should automatically populate most borrowers’ contact and loan information. Just be sure to confirm which loan types you have, select the ones you want to consolidate, choose an IDR plan, and provide some basic personal information. Depending on your situation, you may need to provide additional documentation, such as proof of economic hardship or disability. Be sure to respond promptly to any requests from your loan servicer.
The entire process should take less than 30 minutes, according to the Federal Student Aid Office. For assistance or to apply for consolidation over the phone, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243.
Generally, you can’t consolidate an existing consolidation loan unless you’re applying to PSLF or adding another loan to the mix, like a Perkins loan that you didn’t previously consolidate.
The bottom line
Borrowers who miss the new June 30 deadline won't be completely out of luck, as they may still receive partial credit for their past IDR payments. But to maximize the forgiveness you're eligible for, it's crucial to get your loans consolidated by the end of next month. Don't delay—take action now to put yourself in the best position to get significant student debt relief this year.
While the extended deadlines may provide some relief to borrowers, the constant shifts underscore the complexity and fluidity of the student loan landscape. As the saga continues to unfold, borrowers are left to navigate these ever-changing waters, hoping for clarity and resolution on the horizon.
This post was originally published in April 15 when the deadline was April 30, 2024, and was and was updated on May 21, 2024 to reflect the new June 30 timeline.