Student loan forgiveness application

Hi everyone,

I just read that the student loan debt relief application is now open however when I click on the application it says access denied. I've tried accessing the application via my student loan company and FAFSA website and keep getting the same message. Has anyone else struggled getting in? I wonder if anyone trying to access it outside the US is having this issue?

https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application [nofollow] .

Thanks,

Megan

I'm having the same issue. I wondered if it's a firewall protection or something - they might not want visitors from all around the world to access the website and crash it (or put in bogus credentials, given that no login etc. is required...). If that's what is happening then I hope that they'll take pity on those of us living abroad and let us access it soon.

I found this at the bottom of one of the information pages, and will try and give them a call at some point later when the phone lines are working. Even if they can't fix it immediately, at least they'll be informed that this is an issue for overseas Americans.

Get Help
StudentAid.gov has the latest information on the application process. If you need help filling out the form online or have questions related to your specific borrower situation, you can reach our contact center agents at 1-833-932-3439.

I've run into the same problem.

My mom (in the US) is able to access it fine, so it does appear to be a location-related issue.

Thanks both, glad to hear it's not just me having this issue! Maybe I'll try to use a different VPN to access it or have a family member in the US fill it out for me. MoiMichMe let me know if you get anywhere with the helpline.

I've seen this mentioned on the reddit student loan page, and have heard people state they've been successful with using a VPN. Good luck!!

I got through to the helpline eventually, and they weren't aware of this being an issue, but have logged it now. If others can also do the same, then the issue might be solved.

In any case, using a VPN (that 'looks' like you're in the USA) should work.

Don't know if I'm "special" or not, but I got an email saying mine was going to be automatically applied Nov 14 because they already had all my information on file. So Nov 14th is apparently when the auto-pilot kicks off.

As if $20K will make a dent in it.... 

That's true, Nan, the government seems to think that it has enough information to process most people's, but if you want them to start processing it sooner (before mid-November) especially due to the legal challenges, then it might be worthwhile to apply for it early. That was my thinking, anyway!

Yeah - it's all on hold anyway, due to legal challenges.

If I'd applied early (and they did email me a chance to apply using the Beta version of the website) I'd be wondering if they were going to be asking for it back if the program gets shot down in court!

Hi everyone,

I just read that the student loan debt relief application is now open however when I click on the application it says access denied. I've tried accessing the application via my student loan company and FAFSA website and keep getting the same message. Has anyone else struggled getting in? I wonder if anyone trying to access it outside the US is having this issue?

https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application.

Thanks,

Megan

Try using VPN, this normally happens to me too when accessing some websites for the VA, or sometimes even simple sites like Home Depot. A VPN should let you through with no problem.

Hi. They are not taking applications because the program is currently blocked in the courts. A VPN won't help, sorry! (That's the $10k/$20K program.)

PSLF is still open and accepting applications. The turnaround time is currently 90 business days from the time you submit a form for it to be acted on. (Hope you don't need that forgiveness urgently, because you're looking at about 6 months minimum if you have all your ducks in a row when you submit the paperwork to any expected discharge.) I'm pretty sure you would have already had to have applied and had your 120 months prior to Oct 31, and live in the States unless you were asking for discharge because you were an overseas employee of the government or US-based charity organization, though. Those were the rules for the temporary waiver. If you are in one of those classifications and still employed, and didn't have your application in or the 120 before Oct 31 you can still file, but you have to remain employed in public service until the loan(s) is/are discharged. It'll be a while. 

If you were waiting on a Supreme Court ruling on Biden's up-to-$20K loan forgiveness program, it's supposed to be announced soon. (Biden v. Nebraska and Department of Education v. Brown). The Court is supposed to (but is not required to) release decisions on all matters that were pending before it goes on summer recess, which starts in July. The next release date for rulings is this Tuesday, June 27th.

Also, per an article from last week in Forbes:

Meanwhile, the Education Department is beginning to implement relief under the IDR Account Adjustment, a separate Biden administration initiative that may provide millions of borrowers with retroactive credit toward loan forgiveness terms under income-driven repayment plans. Some borrowers who reach their milestone for loan forgiveness under the program may start receiving discharges of their balances as soon as this August.

This is the program that wipes debt after 20 years of payment (undergrad only) or 25 years (if you also have loans for graduate study). So if you've been paying for 20 or 25 years (respectively) and had long periods of deferment or were on the wrong repayment plan, I believe Biden's new plan will treat all those months as counting towards the required years and will wipe the loans.  Something to check into, if you're still paying, decades later!