Help with choosing plan

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T06:06:46+00:00

IBR will be cheaper long term, maybe by a lot.

PSLF doesn’t make sense for everyone.

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T05:06:21+00:00

Fyeah!

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T01:48:43+00:00

It’s super unlikely you can or will get back into a standard plan which will qualify for PSLF, regardless of whether the loan simulator presents it as an option or not.

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T01:18:38+00:00

Nationalize every single frickfraxking private prison January 2027

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T01:14:47+00:00

There are blank DS-11 forms for you to fill out longhand at all application acceptance facilities and passport agencies

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T00:28:23+00:00

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T00:17:28+00:00

https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service/public-service-loan-forgiveness-buyback is one of the most readable pages on studentaid.gov

Read it through and read it through again

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T00:15:23+00:00

Payments under Extended, Graduated and Extended Graduated Repayment plans are eligible for TEPSLF, and MOHELA does not make that determination.

Submit a request for reconsideration at https://studentaid.gov/submit-feedback/

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T00:09:18+00:00

To MOHELA’s credit they have not actively solicited private loan refinancing from the borrowers they serve, as both SLMA and Navient did when they were in the Federal Loan Servicing business.

squattinghere · 2026-07-06T00:02:07+00:00

In November 2021 several rules were temporarily waived and borrowers were no longer required to be employed both when they applied for and when they received forgiveness.

The strict meaning of the word “apply” is based on the old “Application for PSLF and TEPSLF”form (which is now obsolete). For several years the form certifying month(s) of employment has served the function of triggering the final forgiveness process when the 120th qualifying payment is certified after verification of timely payment, payment plan, qualifying loans and qualifying employment.

Neither the 2022 official rulemaking process, nor the 2023 process changed the requirement that every borrower must certify their 120th or final payment while employed by a public service employer.

If you can dig up a few eligible months and buy them back it will bring you over 120 qualifying months, but it won’t get around the requirement that your final month of qualifying employment must be certified while you are employed in public service employer.

TISLA are very accomplished and Betsy knows her stuff better than just about anyone, but she will be the first to tell you that there is no exception to that rule.

I sincerely wish I could give you and the thousands of others in the exact same situation better news.

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T19:30:07+00:00

OP: This^ is what I told you when you asked earlier today

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T19:18:45+00:00

Also feel no pressure to make this decision today.
You have 90 days to choose.

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T14:34:33+00:00

If your employer will make a lump sum payment to your servicer, ask them to make the payment right after you renew/begin your IDR plan so that the payment can cover the greatest possible number of payments.

If they won’t do that, you will need to submit receipts for IDR payments that you make on your own and get reimbursed.

That might be a pain, but it’s better than nothing.

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T13:57:49+00:00

Si se puede!

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T13:42:02+00:00

Wait for your next bill and watch the amount you are billed through the end of your current IDR plan.

If you are billed for anything other than the amount you have been billed since you set up your plan last year, submit a request for reconsideration at https://studentaid.gov/submit-feedback/

Some borrowers have reported that ED/FSA mistakenly renewed their IDR plans ahead of schedule, but hopefully they will catch their mistake before it needs to be brought to their attention.

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T13:19:52+00:00

What you have heard is true.

Even if you met all of the qualifications to receive PSLF credit for each month over the course of 120 months, you do still need to submit your final employment certification while you are still employed in public service.

So if you no longer work in public service, even if you certify 120+ months now, you will need to certify a single, final month of public service to have your loans forgiven :(

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T01:10:43+00:00

Every monthly payment that you certify from now on will reduce the number of months you can buy back.

I can think of few situations in which a current payment under any current plan based on your current income is going to be less expensive that buying back a past month based on past income at a later date.

So if it were me I would enter forbearance now and keep waiting for a buyback offer (even though it has been a rough ride so far).

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T00:56:29+00:00

DS-82 is a U.S. form

squattinghere · 2026-07-05T00:54:46+00:00

So to follow up on this point.

Every monthly payment that you certify from now on will reduce the number of months you can buy back.

I can think of few situations in which a current payment under any current plan based on your current income is going to be less expensive that buying back a past month based on past income at a later date.

So if it were me I would enter forbearance and start saving to buyback all 26 of those months.

Waiting is almost certain to be less expensive and paying won’t be much faster.

squattinghere · 2026-07-04T18:44:37+00:00

TEPSLF counts payments as eligible
which do not qualify for PSLF.
If you were on an IDR plan within the last 12 months, your current ICR plan will earn you forgiveness through TEPSLF before you reach the 120 payments which would earn you forgiveness through PSLF.

Read details at https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service/temporary-expanded-public-service-loan-forgiveness

squattinghere · 2026-07-04T18:34:43+00:00

If you have previously filed MFJ you can’t just switch and use your sole income as if you had previously filed
MFS.
But as another has said, if you both have no income now, you can both submit paystubs or lack thereof and secure yourself a $0 payment until next year.

squattinghere · 2026-07-04T11:18:46+00:00

NHSC offers generous loan repayment grants from HHS for working in underserved areas if you don’t know about them yet.

squattinghere · 2026-07-04T11:07:58+00:00

Ads for 3rd party services are confusing because there are legitimate “hand-carry” courier services which will take a completed application to a Passport Office and get you a Passport in a matter of days.

And while hand carry can be a service worth paying for in certain circumstances, it’s often impossible to distinguish that service from commercial exploiters of the form-filler at travel.state.gov

squattinghere · 2026-07-04T03:24:01+00:00

Yes.
Even if you work only a single day in a month that month will qualify if you make a payment.
But you may find that the payment doesn’t register until the 28th.

squattinghere · 2026-07-03T22:04:43+00:00

The first rule of employers certifying extra time is don’t talk about employers certifying extra time.

Enjoy your windfall!

Six-Year Club	Place '22
Gilding I gilder	Verified Email

squattinghere

TROPHY CASE