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The SAVE Plan

On February 18, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit handed down its decision in Missouri v. Trump, the legal challenge to President Biden’s SAVE Plan. In this decision, the panel of three judges found the SAVE Plan to have been promulgated in such a way that exceeded the Secretary of Education’s statutory authority.

Implementation of the SAVE Plan has been blocked by a federal appellate court. Borrowers can no longer enroll in the SAVE Plan.

If you are already enrolled in the SAVE Plan, your account was moved into interest-free forbearance due to lawsuits challenging the Plan. While your account will not accrue interest, during this time in forbearance you will not earn credit toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

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 

Income-driven repayment plans can help keep payments affordable (and be as little as $0 per month depending on your income). Educators must be in one of these repayment plans to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

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.

Sign held up at rally saying 40 million families need student loan relief now.

Other Student Debt Support

If you do not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, there are other opportunities for support. NEA’s student debt experts have created tools designed to help educators through the complicated student debt system.
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The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.