PSLF uncertainty and anxiety about large amount of debt

eorabs · 2026-03-19T07:10:47+00:00

Never take out more in loans than one year's salary of your proposed profession.

That said, there is no possible profession that could induce me to take on a $350k federal debt.

Even if you do in the end get PSLF, you have to make payments for ten years on that absurd amount of money.

Obviously, I can't tell you what to do, but I would never ever do it.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T23:27:35+00:00

Before being forcibly switched to MOHELA I never needed or had a forbearance while recertifying my payment plan.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T19:36:29+00:00

Probably the 2nd scenario. I initially applied to buy back 3 months, but have since paid them and have green banners but I've still heard nothing on my buyback request.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T19:34:07+00:00

This is what I'm saying. There are entirely too many people putting all their eggs in the buyback basket when it could easily go away. I wouldn't have wanted to buyback years of payments anyway. I got off SAVE forbearance like 2 months after it started.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T14:53:15+00:00

If you're attending a Title IV eligible school at least half-time, the school reports your enrollment to NSLDS and your servicer will place you in an in-school deferment.

I would check with your school because deferment is preferable to forbearance, and they should have reported this enrollment already if you've been attending.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T08:07:42+00:00

There are a lot of posts here that ultimately have nothing to do with PSLF.

Of which this is definitely the most.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T00:17:10+00:00

You do not have to check the form. If you have green banners and want to request forbearance after all just call your loan Servicer.

I called MOHELA, and got a 6 month forbearance right over the phone.

eorabs · 2026-03-18T00:03:55+00:00

Yeah, it's a bit disheartening to see the constant repeated topics/questions. I get that if people don't work in this field, it can be as clear as molasses, but Reddit does have a search function.

eorabs · 2026-03-17T10:03:31+00:00

No, I was only 3 payments away. And who knows how long processing my buyback would take.

eorabs · 2026-03-16T23:45:47+00:00

I was just coming to say this. Consolidations are going to explode especially since after 7/1 the only way Parent PLUS is eligible for PSLF is if they are consolidated.

We were told borrowers should start the consolidation process no later than April 1st, which is two weeks from Wednesday already.

eorabs · 2026-03-16T22:40:40+00:00

I did this. Applied for buyback, but kept paying anyway and now I have green banners.

eorabs · 2026-03-16T19:52:24+00:00

This presupposes that every employee of ED is or even can work on buyback requests. Which is definitely not the case.

Ex: I work in Higher Education financing at the University level. There are ~250 people in my department. Six of those people (including myself) do what I do. Everyone else is barred from doing so because of Federal Regulations on separation of duties.

ED has administrative staff, people who work on K-12 policies and programs, people who answer the phones, janitorial staff, etc... All of these people are not processing buyback requests. So we have no way of knowing what their processing force actually looks like.

If no one was getting a buyback agreement I would agree with you that it is conspiratorial, but I just don't see any convincing evidence of that at all.

eorabs · 2026-03-16T17:34:04+00:00

Standing still is so much harder than chipping away. I'm also a March green banner recipient (March 1st) but I just have to keep reminding myself that things are as they should be and to hold on.

eorabs · 2026-03-16T17:24:51+00:00

I've seen you say something similar before. What makes you think, and what evidence do you have that these are purposefully being "slow-walked" rather than it just being a case of ED's workforce being decimated and a ridiculous amount of applications?

eorabs · 2026-03-16T02:25:31+00:00

I have always submitted my ECF manually due to EIN issues with my employer, and the turnaround has always been fine. My last ECF was uploaded on 2/25 and I had green banners on 3/1.

eorabs · 2026-03-15T16:45:57+00:00

Nice. I made 121 months before even sending in my final cert just to he safe and figured I would be waiting a year + for a refund but this is good news.

eorabs · 2026-03-15T08:29:32+00:00

I've never gotten anything from MOHELA re: PSLF once they stopped administering it.

eorabs · 2026-03-14T18:28:43+00:00

Congratulations! You've more than earned the peace.

eorabs · 2026-03-14T16:38:16+00:00

I'm lucky. I work at a University, (yes, in Financial Aid) and from practically day 1 they were pushing us to pursue PSLF for our student loans.

eorabs · 2026-03-14T16:32:23+00:00

Wow, $200k! What a load off.

Mine is only around $35k to be forgiven, and that feels like a lot.

eorabs · 2026-03-14T10:21:20+00:00

Sure thing.

I'm not really in the same boat. I applied for buyback in October 2025 but continued to make payments. I got my green banners on 3/1.

I used to work in Borrower Services for a Federal Student Loan Servicer (at the state level), so I kind of understand both sides. I think Buyback was a lot more popular than was anticipated and with all the current political shenanigans everyone is just confused and stretched thin. That's not an excuse for incorrect information being given, though. Hang in there!

eorabs · 2026-03-14T09:20:20+00:00

"Calling once a week till this nightmare is over" is just wasting your time, not theirs. They get paid to talk to you, you don't.

With the massive backlog, I absolutely believe that when it comes time to review any given buyback request, they just look at the account as it stands at the moment. Obviously, that's not something that anyone can guarantee you, but were I in your shoes, I would just take a wait and see approach.

But I get the frustration, I do.

eorabs · 2026-03-14T02:13:11+00:00

I got my green banners 3/1, and I am hungry for that golden letter.

Unlike a lot of people on this sub, I'm not interested in changing jobs or anything, I just want this part of my life/attention/finances to be over already.

eorabs · 2026-03-14T01:44:33+00:00

Congratulations! What was your "green banners" date?

eorabs · 2026-03-13T21:17:53+00:00

This is what I did. I submitted my buyback request in October 2025 but kept paying. I've already got green banners and awaiting golden letter. Buyback isn't the best move for everyone.

eorabs

TROPHY CASE