Resources: Student Loans & PSLF
Plain-language explainers on federal forgiveness and repayment programs.
Federal Student Loan Update: September 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers
Monthly rundown for borrowers. Current as of October 8, 2026. If you’re still in SAVE, the deadline that binds you is the one printed on your own servicer notice. September 29 was only the first. September 2026 brought seven federal student loan developments, and three turn on a date: one passed, one moved, one is ... <a title="Federal Student Loan Update: September 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-changes-september-2026/" aria-label="Read more about Federal Student Loan Update: September 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers">Read more</a>
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Nurses and Hospital Staff on SAVE: Your Plan Choice and PSLF
If you’re a nurse or other hospital employee and your federal student loans sit in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan forbearance, the plan you move to next builds Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) credit only if your employer qualifies. For hospital staff, the employer question comes first. The Department of Education says ... <a title="Nurses and Hospital Staff on SAVE: Your Plan Choice and PSLF" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/nurses-on-save-plan/" aria-label="Read more about Nurses and Hospital Staff on SAVE: Your Plan Choice and PSLF">Read more</a>
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Teachers on SAVE: What to Do Before Your 90 Days Run Out
If you teach at a public school and your loans sit in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan forbearance, the plan you move to next decides whether the coming months count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The first SAVE deadline arrived on September 29, 2026, for borrowers whose servicer notice came on ... <a title="Teachers on SAVE: What to Do Before Your 90 Days Run Out" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/teachers-on-save-plan/" aria-label="Read more about Teachers on SAVE: What to Do Before Your 90 Days Run Out">Read more</a>
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My Student Loan Was Forgiven. Why Is It Still on My Credit Report?
A forgiven federal student loan can keep appearing on your credit report for years. A balance you owe, a payment due date, or a “Deferred” status on a loan the Department of Education has discharged shouldn’t be there: it can mean the discharge hasn’t finished processing, and it’s something you can dispute. Equifax’s guidance for ... <a title="My Student Loan Was Forgiven. Why Is It Still on My Credit Report?" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/forgiven-student-loan-still-on-credit-report/" aria-label="Read more about My Student Loan Was Forgiven. Why Is It Still on My Credit Report?">Read more</a>
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PSLF Buyback: Who Actually Needs It, and Why RAP Months Are Out
If your loans sat in the SAVE forbearance while you kept working in public service, those months didn’t count toward PSLF, and PSLF Buyback is the program built to turn some of them back into credit. Whether you need it starts with one number. The Department of Education says the buyback opportunity “is only available ... <a title="PSLF Buyback: Who Actually Needs It, and Why RAP Months Are Out" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/do-i-need-pslf-buyback/" aria-label="Read more about PSLF Buyback: Who Actually Needs It, and Why RAP Months Are Out">Read more</a>
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Is PSLF Going Away? What’s Law, What’s Rule, and What Can Actually Change
PSLF isn’t going away by anything an administration can do on its own. Public Service Loan Forgiveness is written into federal law. Congress created it in 2007, and the law gives the Department of Education an instruction rather than an option: once a borrower has made 120 qualifying monthly payments while working in public service, ... <a title="Is PSLF Going Away? What’s Law, What’s Rule, and What Can Actually Change" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/is-pslf-going-away/" aria-label="Read more about Is PSLF Going Away? What’s Law, What’s Rule, and What Can Actually Change">Read more</a>
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Federal Student Loan Update: August 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers
Updated October 8, 2026. StudentAid.gov’s display of the Graduated plans was corrected by August 28, and the section on them now says so. The deadline list has moved to the September issue. Updated September 29, 2026. The Department of Education now gives borrowers until December 31, 2026, to enroll in auto pay for the 1% ... <a title="Federal Student Loan Update: August 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-changes-august-2026/" aria-label="Read more about Federal Student Loan Update: August 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers">Read more</a>
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Your Loans Were Forgiven Tax-Free. Your State Might Disagree.
Whether your state taxes your forgiven student loans depends on which forgiveness you got, because the 2025 federal change rewrote a single provision of the tax code and the state-level divergence is confined to that provision. If you’ve read that federal student loan forgiveness became taxable again for discharges after December 31, 2025, you already ... <a title="Your Loans Were Forgiven Tax-Free. Your State Might Disagree." class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/does-my-state-tax-student-loan-forgiveness/" aria-label="Read more about Your Loans Were Forgiven Tax-Free. Your State Might Disagree.">Read more</a>
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Student Loan “Help” Scams Are Surging. Here’s How to Tell Who’s Real
A message lands. It says your student loans qualify for forgiveness, or that your account needs attention, or that a program is closing and you have to act now. You don’t know whether it came from the Education Department, from your servicer, or from someone who bought your name off a list. Here’s the fastest ... <a title="Student Loan “Help” Scams Are Surging. Here’s How to Tell Who’s Real" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-forgiveness-scam/" aria-label="Read more about Student Loan “Help” Scams Are Surging. Here’s How to Tell Who’s Real">Read more</a>
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PSLF Forgiveness Is Still Tax-Free, and That Changes the Math for Public Service Workers
PSLF forgiveness still isn't federally taxable in 2026. Income-driven forgiveness lost its exclusion after Dec 31, 2025. The difference: who you work for.
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Does a Late Student Loan Payment Still Count Toward PSLF?
Updated September 24, 2026. The Department’s PSLF Buyback page now says months spent enrolled in RAP or the Tiered Standard plan can’t be bought back; the buyback sentence below reflects that. It depends on your repayment plan. On the Repayment Assistance Plan, a late payment does not count as a qualifying payment toward Public Service ... <a title="Does a Late Student Loan Payment Still Count Toward PSLF?" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/pslf-late-payment-rule/" aria-label="Read more about Does a Late Student Loan Payment Still Count Toward PSLF?">Read more</a>
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The Student Loan “Golden Letter”: What an IDR Forgiveness Notice Means
A student loan “golden letter” is a notice telling a borrower they’re eligible to have their loans forgiven. The notices are real: in the week of August 14, 2026, the Education Department emailed a new batch of borrowers to tell them they had reached the payments required for forgiveness under an income-driven repayment plan. Borrowers ... <a title="The Student Loan “Golden Letter”: What an IDR Forgiveness Notice Means" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-golden-letter/" aria-label="Read more about The Student Loan “Golden Letter”: What an IDR Forgiveness Notice Means">Read more</a>
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The Student Loan Tax Bomb, Explained: Who Owes What When Forgiveness Becomes Income
Updated August 20, 2026. This post previously described income-driven forgiveness as taxable without qualification. The accurate statement is that the federal exclusion that covered it ended for discharges after December 31, 2025, and that other provisions of the tax code, including the insolvency exclusion, can still apply to an individual borrower. The comparison table and ... <a title="The Student Loan Tax Bomb, Explained: Who Owes What When Forgiveness Becomes Income" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-tax-bomb/" aria-label="Read more about The Student Loan Tax Bomb, Explained: Who Owes What When Forgiveness Becomes Income">Read more</a>
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RAP or IBR? The One-Way Door Isn’t the One You Think.
Updated September 24, 2026. The Department’s PSLF Buyback page now says months spent enrolled in RAP or the Tiered Standard plan can’t be bought back; the paragraph on the regulation’s RAP exceptions reflects that. Can you switch from IBR to the Repayment Assistance Plan and switch back later? Yes. Under 34 CFR 685.209(i), a borrower ... <a title="RAP or IBR? The One-Way Door Isn’t the One You Think." class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/rap-vs-ibr/" aria-label="Read more about RAP or IBR? The One-Way Door Isn’t the One You Think.">Read more</a>
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Your PSLF Payment Count Dropped: What the Education Department Has Said and What to Do Now
The Education Department says PSLF qualifying-month counts on StudentAid.gov are incorrect. What it has said, what it hasn't, and what to document now.
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The 1% Student Loan Autopay Discount: How to Get It Before December 31
Updated September 29, 2026. The Department of Education now gives borrowers until December 31, 2026, to enroll in auto pay for the 1% interest rate reduction, so the deadline in this post has moved from September 30 to December 31. If you’re repaying federal student loans and you aren’t enrolled in auto pay, you have ... <a title="The 1% Student Loan Autopay Discount: How to Get It Before December 31" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-autopay-1-percent-discount/" aria-label="Read more about The 1% Student Loan Autopay Discount: How to Get It Before December 31">Read more</a>
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MOHELA Says You’re Past Due and You Were in SAVE Forbearance: How to Document and Dispute It
Updated August 6, 2026. The Department of Education has since confirmed the error: a spokesperson told Business Insider on August 5 that the issue affected a small number of borrowers at one servicer, that it has been fixed, and that impacted borrowers will be notified of the error by email. No affected-account count or timeline ... <a title="MOHELA Says You’re Past Due and You Were in SAVE Forbearance: How to Document and Dispute It" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-past-due-forbearance-dispute/" aria-label="Read more about MOHELA Says You’re Past Due and You Were in SAVE Forbearance: How to Document and Dispute It">Read more</a>
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Your SAVE Plan Notice: What It Says and What to Do in Your 90 Days
Your servicer's notice starts a hard 90-day clock to pick a new repayment plan. What the notice says, what the auto-enrolled default costs, and the order to work through it in.
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The Repayment Assistance Plan, As It Actually Works: Formula, Subsidies, Fine Print, and the Case Against It
The Repayment Assistance Plan sets payments at 1 to 10 percent of full adjusted gross income, waives unpaid interest only on on-time payments, and forgives what is left after 360 payments. The formula, the fine print, and the documented case against the plan's design.
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Federal Student Loan Update: July 2026 — What Changed and What It Means for Borrowers
Six federal student loan changes took effect in July 2026, from the SAVE 90-day notices to the new Repayment Assistance Plan. What changed, and what to do about each one.
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The PSLF Employer Rule Was Struck Down. Here’s What It Means for You — and Your Employer
Updated September 22, 2026. The Department of Education filed notices of appeal in both cases on August 27, 2026. The rule remains vacated while the appeals proceed. By The Finnita Team For months, public-service workers across the country kept checking the same question: would a new federal rule let the government strip their employer of ... <a title="The PSLF Employer Rule Was Struck Down. Here’s What It Means for You — and Your Employer" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/pslf-employer-rule-struck-down/" aria-label="Read more about The PSLF Employer Rule Was Struck Down. Here’s What It Means for You — and Your Employer">Read more</a>
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What Do I Do When My Student Loan Program Gets Cancelled? A Borrower’s Playbook
A federal student loan program getting cancelled is one of the most unsettling things that can happen to a borrower, and in 2026 it has happened to millions of people at once. A plan you enrolled in, paid into, and built a budget around can be struck down by a court, retired by Congress, or ... <a title="What Do I Do When My Student Loan Program Gets Cancelled? A Borrower’s Playbook" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/student-loan-program-cancelled/" aria-label="Read more about What Do I Do When My Student Loan Program Gets Cancelled? A Borrower’s Playbook">Read more</a>
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What Happens When You Miss Your IDR Recertification: A Borrower’s Worst Day
When a nurse at a public hospital we will call Alanna first enrolled in an income-driven plan paired with Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the math worked the way it is supposed to. Her monthly payment fell by almost 70 percent, and she picked up roughly two years of retroactive credit toward forgiveness. Then she missed ... <a title="What Happens When You Miss Your IDR Recertification: A Borrower’s Worst Day" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/missed-idr-recertification/" aria-label="Read more about What Happens When You Miss Your IDR Recertification: A Borrower’s Worst Day">Read more</a>
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The 11 Most Common DIY Mistakes in Federal Student Loan Enrollment
Updated September 24, 2026. The Department’s PSLF Buyback page now says months spent enrolled in the Repayment Assistance Plan or the Tiered Standard plan can’t be bought back; the buyback paragraph below reflects that. Corrected August 10, 2026. An earlier version of this post said that consolidating restarts the PSLF qualifying-payment count from zero. Under ... <a title="The 11 Most Common DIY Mistakes in Federal Student Loan Enrollment" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/common-diy-pslf-mistakes/" aria-label="Read more about The 11 Most Common DIY Mistakes in Federal Student Loan Enrollment">Read more</a>
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Federal Student Loan Enrollment Is Like Doing Your Own Taxes — and Why Most People Don’t
By Erik Caso, Co-CEO Filing your own federal taxes is free. The IRS publishes every form, the instructions are public, and for most households there is even free software that does the arithmetic for you. Nobody is stopping you. And yet more than half of American taxpayers pay someone else to do it anyway. I ... <a title="Federal Student Loan Enrollment Is Like Doing Your Own Taxes — and Why Most People Don’t" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/why-pay-for-student-loan-service/" aria-label="Read more about Federal Student Loan Enrollment Is Like Doing Your Own Taxes — and Why Most People Don’t">Read more</a>
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The Specialist’s Case — Why Finnita Only Does One Thing — and What That Means for Borrowers
By Erik Caso, Co-CEO Finnita is a student loan enrollment service that does one thing. It enrolls federal student loan borrowers into the repayment and forgiveness programs they qualify for, and it keeps them enrolled through every annual recertification. That is the entire business. We do not refinance loans. We do not sell tuition benefits, ... <a title="The Specialist’s Case — Why Finnita Only Does One Thing — and What That Means for Borrowers" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/the-specialists-case/" aria-label="Read more about The Specialist’s Case — Why Finnita Only Does One Thing — and What That Means for Borrowers">Read more</a>
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Which Student Loan Plan Am I On? A 2026 Field Guide
Not sure which federal student loan plan you're on in 2026? Here's how to check your StudentAid.gov account and what each plan means now.
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PAYE and ICR Are Sunsetting in 2028: What Borrowers on Those Plans Should Do Now
By The Finnita Team Updated August 5, 2026. This post previously described an open conflict between the RISE regulation and the Department’s borrower guidance over whether PAYE closed to new enrollment on July 1, 2026 or July 1, 2027. The Department’s current guidance no longer states the later date. Passages describing the July 1, 2026 ... <a title="PAYE and ICR Are Sunsetting in 2028: What Borrowers on Those Plans Should Do Now" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/paye-icr-sunset-2028/" aria-label="Read more about PAYE and ICR Are Sunsetting in 2028: What Borrowers on Those Plans Should Do Now">Read more</a>
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The July 2026 PSLF Employer Rule, Explained for Borrowers and Employers
By The Finnita Team Updated July 21, 2026. On June 30, 2026, a federal court vacated this rule in full, one day before its scheduled July 1 effective date; a second federal court in Washington, D.C. reached the same conclusion. The rule never took effect and has no legal force. The existing PSLF employer-eligibility rules ... <a title="The July 2026 PSLF Employer Rule, Explained for Borrowers and Employers" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/pslf-employer-rule-2026/" aria-label="Read more about The July 2026 PSLF Employer Rule, Explained for Borrowers and Employers">Read more</a>
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The SAVE Plan Is Ending: What the 7 Million Borrowers in SAVE Forbearance Should Do
SAVE was vacated March 10, 2026. More than 7 million borrowers must pick a new plan within 90 days of their notice. Here are the options and deadlines.
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Federal Student Loan Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2026: The Complete Summary
By The Finnita Team Updated September 24, 2026. An earlier version said none of the 2026 changes take back credit a borrower has already earned. The Department has since reduced PSLF payment counts on some accounts, so that line is gone. The buyback section now also reflects the Department’s RAP and Tiered Standard rule. Updated ... <a title="Federal Student Loan Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2026: The Complete Summary" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/federal-student-loan-changes-2026/" aria-label="Read more about Federal Student Loan Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2026: The Complete Summary">Read more</a>
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The Finnita Outcomes Report: Methodology and Results
Finnita publishes the full methodology behind every outcome we measure: $468/mo savings, 98% enrollment, automatic refunds, 6-8 weeks to enroll.
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Why Finnita Will Never Refinance a Federal Student Loan
Finnita will never refinance a federal student loan. Not because it would be bad business, but because it would be bad for borrowers. Refinancing replaces a federal loan with a private one, and in that single transaction every federal protection that came with the original loan is gone. Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, income-driven repayment, ... <a title="Why Finnita Will Never Refinance a Federal Student Loan" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/why-finnita-never-refinances-federal-loans/" aria-label="Read more about Why Finnita Will Never Refinance a Federal Student Loan">Read more</a>
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Why 89% of Borrowers Fail to Enroll in Forgiveness Programs On Their Own
Corrected August 10, 2026. An earlier version of this post said that consolidating restarts the PSLF qualifying-payment count from zero. Under 34 CFR 685.219(c)(3), a Direct Consolidation Loan carries the weighted average of the qualifying payments made on the Direct Loans that went into it, so Direct Loan credit is recalculated rather than erased. The ... <a title="Why 89% of Borrowers Fail to Enroll in Forgiveness Programs On Their Own" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/why-89-percent-fail-pslf-on-their-own/" aria-label="Read more about Why 89% of Borrowers Fail to Enroll in Forgiveness Programs On Their Own">Read more</a>
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Income-Driven Repayment Plans After the SAVE Shutdown: A 2026 Guide
Updated September 24, 2026. The Department’s PSLF Buyback page now says months spent enrolled in RAP or the Tiered Standard plan can’t be bought back; the buyback paragraph below reflects that. Updated August 6, 2026. This guide was written before the July 1, 2026 changes took effect. It has been updated to reflect them: RAP ... <a title="Income-Driven Repayment Plans After the SAVE Shutdown: A 2026 Guide" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/idr-plans-after-save-shutdown-2026/" aria-label="Read more about Income-Driven Repayment Plans After the SAVE Shutdown: A 2026 Guide">Read more</a>
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Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): How It Actually Works in 2026
PSLF forgives student loans after 120 qualifying payments. Here's how the program works in 2026, with SAVE transition and the new employer rule.
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The Complete Guide to Federal Student Loan Forgiveness in 2026
By Erik Caso, Co-CEO — April 17, 2026 Updated August 5, 2026. This post previously stated that PAYE stops accepting new enrollments on July 1, 2027. Both PAYE and ICR closed to new enrollment on July 1, 2026 under the RISE final rule, and the Department’s current borrower guidance no longer gives a later date. ... <a title="The Complete Guide to Federal Student Loan Forgiveness in 2026" class="read-more" href="https://finnita.com/blog/federal-student-loan-forgiveness-2026/" aria-label="Read more about The Complete Guide to Federal Student Loan Forgiveness in 2026">Read more</a>
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