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Effective URL: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/covid-19
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HomeAnnouncements & EventsCOVID-19 Emergency Relief and Federal Student Aid
COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid Info
Preparing for Repayment to Resume
Payment Amount and Due Date
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Additional Resources and Information
COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid Info
Preparing for Repayment to Resume
Payment Amount and Due Date
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Additional Resources and Information



COVID-19 EMERGENCY RELIEF AND FEDERAL STUDENT AID



Here, you can find information about COVID-19 relief for federal student loans.
You can also learn how to prepare for loan payments to begin again.

STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT PAUSE EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 1, 2022

On Dec. 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) extended the student
loan payment pause through May 1, 2022.

The pause includes the following relief measures for eligible loans:

   

 * a suspension of loan payments

 * a 0% interest rate

 * stopped collections on defaulted loans

Don’t accept unexpected offers of financial aid or help (such as a “pandemic
grant” or “Biden loan forgiveness”) without checking with your school to see if
the offer is legit. Learn how to avoid scams.


COVID-19 AND FEDERAL STUDENT AID INFO

Find information about the impact of COVID-19 on these topics:

PREPARING FOR PAYMENTS TO RESUME

LOAN PAYMENT PAUSE AND 0% INTEREST

INCOME-DRIVEN REPAYMENT PLANS

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS

TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY DISCHARGE

STUDENTS AND IN-SCHOOL BORROWERS

LOANS IN DEFAULT


PREPARING FOR REPAYMENT TO RESUME

Here are four steps to make sure you’re prepared for student loan payments to
resume:

    

 1. Update your contact information in your profile on your loan servicer’s
    website and in your StudentAid.gov profile.

 2. Review your auto-debit enrollment or sign up for the first time. To do so,
    log in to your loan servicer’s website or contact your loan servicer
    directly.

 3. Check out Loan Simulator to find a repayment plan that meets your needs and
    goals or to decide whether to consolidate.

 4. Consider applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. An IDR plan can
    make your payments more affordable, depending on your income and family
    size.


PAYMENT AMOUNT AND DUE DATE

Wondering what your payment amount and due date will be? Once the payment pause
ends, you’ll receive your billing statement or other notice at least 21 days
before your payment is due. This notice will include your payment amount and due
date.

In the meantime, you can get an estimate of your payment amount and due date
through your loan servicer. Contact your loan servicer online or by phone.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

Will auto-debit payments restart after payments begin again?

For most borrowers, auto-debit payments will not restart automatically. Most
borrowers will need to opt in to confirm their auto-debit enrollment before
payments restart.

Look for your status in the table below to see what you may need to do to stay
on auto-debit.



Status Result On auto-debit before March 13, 2020 Your servicer will contact you
before the payment pause ends to confirm whether you want to stay on auto-debit.
If you do not respond to these messages, your servicer will cancel your
auto-debit. Signed up for auto-debit after March 13, 2020 Your auto-debit
payments will start automatically on your first due date when payments begin
again. Opted out of the payment pause and are signed up for auto-debit Your
auto-debit will continue as normal. You don’t have to take any action to stay on
auto-debit. Have loan(s) in default Your auto-debit options may be a little
different. Contact ED’s Default Resolution Group to discuss your auto-debit
options. Have Perkins Loans Your servicer (ECSI) is cancelling all auto-debit
enrollment on Jan. 5, 2022. You will need to sign up after Jan. 5, 2022, to get
on auto-debit again.



Contact your loan servicer if you have questions about your auto-debit or need
to update your banking information on file.

How do I find out what my interest rate will be after the 0% interest rate ends?

For many borrowers, your interest rate will be the same as it was before the 0%
interest began.

But some borrowers will find their interest rate has changed. For example, your
interest may have changed if you consolidated your loans during the payment
pause.

Contact your loan servicer for your exact interest rate. You may also be able to
log in to your loan servicer’s site to find this information.

Will my payment amount change after the payment pause ends?

It depends. If you’re on a traditional repayment plan, such as a Standard,
Graduated, or Extended Repayment Plan, then your loan servicer may recalculate
your payment amount when the payment pause ends. Your loan servicer would base
your new payment amount on:

    

 1. your current balance of principal and interest and

 2. your remaining repayment period.

If you’re on an IDR plan, your payment amount will return to what it was before
your payments were paused (unless you’ve recertified or switched plans since the
payment pause began).

Will the payment pause cause me to take longer to pay off my loans?

It depends on whether you’re on a traditional repayment plan or an IDR plan.
Traditional repayment plans include Standard, Graduated, and Extended Repayment
Plans. IDR plans include Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment (REPAYE); Pay As You
Earn Repayment (PAYE); Income-Based Repayment (IBR); and Income-Contingent
Repayment (ICR) Plans.

Traditional Repayment Plans (Standard, Graduated, or Extended)
The payment pause also paused your repayment schedule. You will still pay the
same total number of months. But the date when you were scheduled to complete
repayment has been delayed.

For example, say you entered repayment on a 10-year Standard Repayment Plan on
Jan. 1, 2018. You would have 10 years from that date to repay your loan. So
normally, you would pay your loan in full by Dec. 31, 2028. But the payment
pause is excluded from the 10-year period for the repayment plan. If the payment
pause were to last two years, then you should repay the loan in full by Dec. 31,
2030.

Income-Driven Repayment Plans (REPAYE, PAYE, IBR, and ICR)
The payment pause has not delayed your progress toward IDR forgiveness because
the suspended payments have counted toward your forgiveness.

Note: This information provides general examples and may not apply to your
specific situation. Contact your loan servicer if you have questions or need
help.

My monthly student loan payment will be too high, and I can’t afford it. What
can I do to lower it?

You may be able to lower your monthly student loan payment by enrolling in an
income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. Under an IDR plan, payments are based on
your income and family size. Apply for an IDR plan and select the box to be
placed on the repayment plan that will provide you with the lowest monthly
payment.

If you’re not eligible for an IDR plan, reach out to your loan servicer. Your
loan servicer can work with you to help you understand your options.

Are there any coronavirus-related loan forgiveness options?

No, there is no coronavirus-related loan forgiveness for federal student loans.
The Department of Education and your loan servicer should be your trusted
sources of information about official loan forgiveness options.

You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. Contact your loan
servicer for free help with questions or concerns about loan payments or
applying for loan forgiveness.

Learn about avoiding student aid scams.


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION


RELATED ARTICLES

 

   

 * 5 Things to Know About Current Repayment Flexibilities and Your Federal
   Student Loans

 * 6 Things Students Need to Know During the COVID-19 Emergency

 * 6 Things to Know About Public Service Loan Forgiveness During the COVID-19
   Emergency

 * 6 Ways to Prepare for Student Loan Repayment to Begin Again


FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITES

Here are some sites that you or your school may find useful:

   

 * Coronavirus.gov—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides
   prevention tips; info about common symptoms; current updates on how many
   cases there are in the United States; advice about travel; a list of
   frequently asked questions; and more.

 * USA.gov coronavirus page—USA.gov shares how agencies across the federal
   government are responding to the outbreak.

 * Federal student loan servicers—Our website lists servicer contact information
   for borrowers who want to ask questions, request a deferment or forbearance,
   etc.

 * U.S. Department of Education COVID-19 information for schools and school
   personnel

 * FSA Partner Connect website (for postsecondary school financial aid staff)

History of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Flexibilities
   

 * March 20, 2020: The office of Federal Student Aid began providing the
   following temporary relief on ED-owned federal student loans: suspension of
   loan payments, stopped collections on defaulted loans, and a 0% interest
   rate.

 * March 27, 2020: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
   Act) became law, The CARES Act provided for the above relief measures through
   Sept. 30, 2020.

 * Aug. 8, 2020: The COVID-19 emergency relief measures were extended through
   Dec. 31, 2020.

 * Dec. 4, 2020: The COVID-19 emergency relief measures were extended through
   Jan. 31, 2021.

 * Jan. 20, 2021: The COVID-19 emergency relief measures were extended through
   at least Sept. 30, 2021.

 * March 29, 2021: More relief measures were added for borrowers in the TPD
   discharge process.

 * March 30, 2021: The COVID-19 emergency relief measures were expanded to
   federal student loans made through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)
   Program that are in default.

 * Aug. 6, 2021: The COVID-19 emergency relief measures were extended until Jan.
   31, 2022.

 * Dec. 22, 2022: The COVID-19 emergency relief measures were extended through
   May 1, 2022.

This Q&A contains general statements of policy under the Administrative
Procedure Act issued to advise the public prospectively of the manner in which
the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Federal Student Aid (FSA) propose to
exercise their discretion as a result of and in response to the lawfully and
duly declared COVID-19 pandemic national emergency. ED and FSA do not intend for
this Q&A to create legally binding standards affirmatively determining any
member of the public’s legal rights and obligations for which noncompliance may
form an independent basis for action.




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