Are you a student loan borrower looking for potential forgiveness? If so, the Biden administration has set a key deadline that you should be aware of. The deadline is April 30th, and it involves consolidating multiple federal student loans into one larger loan. This consolidation could benefit you in light of the U.S. Department of Education’s overhaul of income-driven repayment plans which has led to debt cancellation for more than 930,000 people and $45 billion in relief.
According to higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz, the opportunity to consolidate loans can help many borrowers qualify for student loan forgiveness. This move by the Biden administration is temporary, and it allows borrowers to combine their loans and receive credit going back as far as their first loan payment on the oldest original loan in the bundle.
Consolidating your student loans can be a strategic move to potentially qualify for forgiveness. Normally, consolidating loans can restart your forgiveness timeline, but the Biden administration has changed this detail through April 30th.
All federal student loans, including Federal Family Education Loans, Parent Plus loans, and Perkins Loans, are eligible for consolidation. You can apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan at StudentAid.gov or with your loan servicer. Kantrowitz advises that as long as the application is submitted by April 30, you should be fine even if the processing takes longer.
Before consolidating, it’s a good idea to get a complete payment history of each loan to ensure you’re getting the full credit you’re entitled to. You can do this by checking your loan details on StudentAid.gov or requesting a record from your servicer. If you believe there is an issue with your payment count, you can speak to your loan servicer or submit a complaint to the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid unit.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to potentially accelerate your path to student loan forgiveness by consolidating before the April 30th deadline.
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