Do you have federal student loan debt? Do you know someone who has federal student loan debt? If so, this post is for you. There is a multi-part plan to assist student loan borrowers. Visit https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/ for more details.

Loan forgiveness of up to $20,000

Many borrowers and families may be asking themselves “what do I have to do to claim this relief?” There will be more details announced soon. To be notified when the process has officially opened, sign up at the Department of Education subscription page. Borrowers will have until Dec. 31, 2023 to apply.

Employer-based debt relief

Borrowers who are employed by non-profits (such as Kalamazoo College), the military, or federal, state, Tribal, or local government may be eligible to have all of their student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. This is because of time-limited changes that waive certain eligibility criteria in the PSLF program. These temporary changes expire on October 31, 2022. For more information on eligibility and requirements, go to PSLF.gov.

Final extension of repayment pause

Because of this, no one with a federally held loan has had to pay a single dollar in loan payments during the past couple of years. The final pause extends through December 31, 2022, with payments resuming in January 2023.

Additional considerations for current and future borrowers

There is a proposed rule to create a new income-driven repayment plan that could reduce future monthly payments for lower- and middle-income borrowers.

Additional details will be forthcoming. If you’d like to be among the first to know, sign up for email updates from the U.S. Department of Education.