Key facts
- The Department of Education is reducing qualifying payment counts for some borrowers pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
- This adjustment means borrowers will have a longer path to debt relief.
- The department cited "PSLF counter code errors" stemming from changes implemented in May 2024.
- The errors resulted in inaccurate payment counts for some borrowers.
- The issue has been resolved, and the majority of affected borrowers have been notified.
- Borrowers have reported receiving incorrect monthly bills and erroneous past-due notices.
The Department of Education has confirmed it is reducing the number of qualifying payments counted towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for some borrowers. This adjustment means that individuals working in government and nonprofit sectors, who rely on PSLF to forgive their student debt after 10 years of qualifying payments, will now face a longer timeline to achieve that relief.
The department stated that the Federal Student Aid office identified "PSLF counter code errors" that arose from changes made in May 2024. These errors led to inaccurate payment counts for a portion of borrowers. A department spokesperson indicated that the issue has been resolved and that most affected borrowers have been notified, reaffirming a commitment to ensuring all qualifying payments are correctly credited.