Implementation of the SAVE Plan has been blocked by a federal appellate court. Borrowers cannot enroll in the SAVE Plan until further notice.
The Department of Education has announced that if you are already enrolled in the SAVE Plan, your account will be moved into interest-free forbearance pending the resolution of lawsuits challenging the Plan. While your account will not accrue interest, during this time you will not earn credit toward Income-Driven Repayment or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). You should hear from your loan servicer or from the Department of Education in the coming days.
We are currently waiting on a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
The Department of Education has established several Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plans over the years, which calculate monthly payments based on income and family size, often leading to lower monthly payments for student loan borrowers.
Prior to far-right legal challenges, the SAVE Plan proved to be incredibly popular and effective. 7.5 million borrowers had already started benefitting from the Plan, including 4.2 million borrowers who were paying $0 per month!
Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan applications are live again after being temporarily paused in February of 2025. If you were enrolled in the SAVE plan, we recommend that educators pursuing PSLF immediately enroll into one of the three remaining IDR plans – PAYE, IBR, ICR – in order to continue making qualifying payments for PSLF.
Apply for an income-driven repayment plan
Have further questions?
NEA members can consult student debt experts through the Student Debt Navigator for free assistance with student debt issues, including questions about SAVE and applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
For the latest news on student debt relief, text STUDENTDEBT to 48744. You will receive important updates and invitations to upcoming events and webinars.
