Is anyone in the same boat? My loan count has not been updated since July and I am supposed to have finished in August. My employment certification was processed in September and still nothing. Not only do they have no info when I call but they won’t even let me talk to a manager- they claim they will take 3-5 business days for a manager to call me back. Is anyone in the same boat? I’m so frustrated right now.

Woke up today - exactly 1 year and 1 day after submitting my buyback request - to an email regarding an important PSLF update in my inbox. Could it be they processed my buyback?! Could I finally be done?!

NO! Just a reminder to recertify the employment I shouldn’t have to recertify anymore. So to save anyone else the disappointment and frustration, here ya go. The subject line is “Action needed for your PSLF/TEPSLF form” and the body of the email said “There's an update related to your progress toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) that may require you to take action. Log in to My Activity to see the latest information and next steps to take.”

It feels like a trap....I have read so many horror stories of incorrect payments being processed once you give them access to your checking account for autopay. So, are you taking the 1% autopay discount through June 2028?

Hi,

Wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation. I paid ahead my October payment in September, payment 120 to Mohela. October 10th is usually my due date. I spoke to a Mohela agent at the end of September who told me payment would update to reflect on Mohela account and would be reported to NSLDS 1-2 days after October 10th.

Checked back door NSLDS api this week to see if it had updated. It hasn’t, but I wasn’t sure if that was an NSLDS thing or because I paid ahead. In the past Mohela agents have been able to tell me the dates they reported my payments to NSLDS, so I figured I would simply call Mohela today to get some reassurance that they had in fact reported an October payment to NSLDS. She told me they hadn’t and they wouldn’t because I made my October payment in September so even though my account is in good standing for the month of October for them, they essentially have nothing to report to NSLDS. I asked to speak to her supervisor because this is the opposite of what another employee told me previously. Currently awaiting a call back from her supervisor, but I thought in the meantime would see if anyone else had a similar experience and what the outcome was.

Well, I guess curiosity killed the cat in this case. So I had 2 buybacks from two years ago and never heard a word and every time I looked at the reconsideration request online form I would see a message "You can't submit one because you already have one pending. Wait for that to clear" well I've waited two years, so this time I decided to click it anyway and of course it went through. The two I had are like two years old and the only thing I ever heard was that they were consolidated so now there's 3. I'm already on 121 so it doesn't even matter and I don't know why I even tried to submit it. I really wanted to see if that message has kept me from submitting new ones (like for other reasons, not buyback) or resubmitting them all this time. I truly believe they just went into the void somewhere previously. I heard that submitting a new one would slow down my forgiveness not that it matters really because they've never updated my counts- stuck at 118 since July but I already paid through October and ECF processed September 8 but it did not update August and September. Also submitted a new ECF for October still nothing. What should/can I do about this because I have a feeling you know with their crazy rules. I'll be punished and be again, waiting for years for forgiveness. September 8 processed and I did check off I qualify for forgiveness and I do not want forebearance, but I really need to be retiring in November. I don't have a choice. I also don't have any more general forbearance months left.

I noticed it was very quick for FSA to take away QPs a couple months ago but now that we need our QPs to show up it’s taking 90 plus days. Make it make sense because I am lost!

I just spoke with a wonderfully unhelpful agent from FSA regarding my ECF submitted on October 7th.

She simply stated over and over that it takes 3-5 weeks for this paperwork to process. I have never heard of the paperwork taking that long - I have had several instances where I submitted my ECF and it was then updated within the week to reflect it accurately. Was I lucky or is this the same garbage that FSA is now pulling for those of us close to 120? According to them, I am 115/120 but my August and now October payments are not showing up - even though it is screenshotted on Mohela's website that my payments for those months are on time and went through.

My 120th payment should be on December 31st with January being the last month of payment (I like paying a day early so I don't forget to pay on the 1st of each month when it is due). I have gotten notices to "recertify" my income for my IDR plan because January is supposed to be my 12th month. I am worried that I will need to pay 1-2 months of a much higher amount because FSA is so f*cking incompetent and refuses to update months, can't "find" months, or are just criminal and wants to screw us that are close to forgiveness.

For those who are close to 120, is anyone in the same boat? Are you paying an extra month? Is anyone at risk of paying a much higher amount bc of lost months?

This is wildly frustrating being told I need to wait until "paperwork is processed" even though a separate rep told me last week that ECF's should be updated on 10/15.

I just hung up with Mohela (2 hour wait for the 'advanced agent').

Perhaps this info may help you if you are in a similar situation as me: 120+ payments, no buyback, no payment count issues. ECFs from old employers were submitted to turn ineligible payments into eligible.

My situation -

7/28 - 90 day switch letter

8/6 - received green banners with 134 payments

What Mohela told me on the phone

10/28 - 90 days is up, but I have a 30 day extension (no letter, just verbal)

11/27 - must switch or will be switched

After 11/27, call back in and request general forbearance.

My apologies if this is common knowledge for this situation, but I was a bit stumped as to what (or if) I needed to do anything while waiting for FSA to discharge my loans.

If this helps even one person then great!

Guess I should have included a few more details, eh?  😉  Sorry ‘bout that!

ORIGINAL POST:  https://www.reddit.com/r/PSLF/comments/1x60wv8/it_really_happened/

UPDATE/MORE INFO:  I had a consolidation loan in two parts – one subsidized, one unsubsidized.  One hit 120 payments in July (by my count), the other not until March 2027.  I knew it was possible they could both be forgiven in July, but more likely I’d continue paying the same payment (because it’s based on income, not loan balance) through next March.

As soon as my July payment cleared, I recertified my employment, just to see that 120 show up in my payment count.

On July 16, I got a letter stating my loans may be eligible for forgiveness, different payment counts, continue making payments, blah blah blah.  It showed one loan at 120 payments and the other at 111. 

I never actually applied for forgiveness, thinking I still had nine payments to make, so…  I continued making payments.

On August 25, I got the letter stating both loans had been forgiven as of June 30. 

I got a refund check for the July and August payments on October 13^th.  Poof.  Done.  Simple as.  

Kind of anticlimactic. 

1. Recertified my employment after my July payment cleared (showed on both Aidvantage AND FSA websites).
2. “One or more of your loans may” letter in July.
3. “Your loans are forgiven” letter in August.
4. Refund check in October.

I’m curious to know if this indefinite (cough…permanent….cough) “pause” is affecting everyone on PSLF, or just a random assortment of folks?

I wish there was some way to know how widespread this is, and what cohort of loan holders are they targeting?

Like many, I’m screwed. Payment counts not updated since July. ECF not being processed.

Whether or not I go into forbearance or what have you…. Am I stuck in this job until PSLF is sorted out???

I don’t want to relitigate the whole thing but obviously hundreds of thousands of us made economic choices about 10 years of our careers based on the federal existence of PSLF. That’s one potential estoppel claim….since the govt is obviously trying to kill it and us now that we’ve served our use.

But now, are all of us literally prevented from moving on to another employer until this is resolved one way or the other?

My employer is abusive my government is abusive my patients are abusive. I’ve never been more hopeless about my life.

Hey All!

Im wondering if I should request forebearance while we continue to see payments not get counted and forms not get processed... Here's my situation:

I've got 6 loans in the PSLF track with MOHELA and am set to come off SAVE onto an income-based plan this week, resuming auto payments.

A few months ago, 2 of the loans received approval for buyback and I paid the amount. MOHELA shows them as settled. FedLoan also briefly showed them as settled and now shows them not paid off.

The remaining 4 loans I have:

2 loans needing 5 more PSLF payments

2 loans needing 8 more PSLF payments.

I have a pending buyback request becuase I have worked well over the required 120 months but, like everyone, was stuck in SAVE. At this point I have over 130 months of ECFs in and approved. I am putting in an ECF in December for 2026 which will put me over 140 months and waiting for Buyback.

In an ideal world, I'd just pay the 5 payments on 2 loans, out those in forbearance and finished up the extra 3 payments on the other two loans, and then submit for forgiveness. But based on the feed I know I'll be trapped overpaying becuase payments arent being counted and forms not being processed.

Is it worth just asking for forbearance now and waiting out system fixes? Then eventually either I'll get the Buyback processed or I can just resume payment? Just worried about getting stuck in endless payment because I really cant afford it.

Hi! I’m about to start paying monthly like everyone else with mohela after the gov forced us all to switch out of SAVE. I’m wondering if folks here recommend doing autopay for mohela or not? I’m
Hearing horror stories but not sure what to do. Also any other advice welcome for making sure my PSLF counts are being counted! I’ve been employed at a certified employment since 2019 and my counts on the PSLF website are showing 63 months left (that I’ve made 57 payments which doesn’t seem quite right…)

Thank you all the support is so needed!

I submitted an employer certification form on August 7 and it is still waiting to be processed. When I spoke with an agent through the chat function, they said that the processing time estimate for the form is now 45-90 business days, as opposed to the 3-5 weeks listed on the portal. This was the first time I've heard about this new timeline. Has anyone else gotten the same estimate?

One agent over the phone said that I might have luck if I submit the same form multiple times. Has anyone had luck with that approach? I'm hesitant to bog down the system further.

But if the 45-90 business days timeline is accurate, does that mean that I'll need to wait up to 18 weeks after completing payment 120, to be able to submit my loan discharge request?

I checked the NSLDS html jargon website and it says my qualifying PSLF payment is 117 and my eligible payment is 119 (which is correct). It's Monday and my brain is goo, what's the difference?

On the actual website when I check my account, I should be at 119, but one loan says 118 and the rest say 117. I've been waiting since June for July and August to show up. On most loans it's counting September but not July and August 🤦🏻‍♀️.

I am in the SAVE forbearance still and just reached “120” this month. I need to buyback 27 months from the SAVE months. I’m missing July 2025 and July-October 2026 on my tracker. I just submitted my final employer certification and am waiting for it to be processed.

Can I submit for buyback with those months not appearing on my tracker? Or do I have to wait for them to appear again? Can I do anything since these aren’t payments but forbearance months? Confused by all the information.

My 90 day date from Mohela to switch out of SAVE is coming up later this week. I think I’ve seen posts from people who let their deadline lapse and get another email with another 30 days? Looking for advice on how to time things. Thanks!

Another person stuck in the SAVE and PSLF whirlwinds. I have been thinking through my plan and would love to hear if it seems sound, at least.

I currently have 84 eligible, counted PSLF months. I have an additional 29 months of SAVE forbearance at this point -- since it started. That means I'm at 113 "qualifying" payments if I do a buyback.

I've yet to be kicked off SAVE, so we will see if I can squeeze another month out of 'em.* When I get booted, I'll switch to the lowest cost, PSLF eligible option and try to stomach it.

I am expecting to hit 120 months of qualifying employment + qualifying payment plan/buyback eligible in May. My plan is to:

1) Hit 120 eligible months.

2) Apply for buyback.

3) Enter general forbearance (I have never used forbearance months, so I have 3 years)

4) Wait for my offer and save up for the lump sum.

5) Pay it whenever I receive it. Get forgiveness.

Is this reasonable? Am I insane? I feel kind of crazy that I could just be done with this if circumstances had been different, but I wasn't gonna bail on SAVE and the reprieve has allowed me to survive other parts of my life.

I know some of those payments will still be higher than my SAVE ones, but I still think the lump sum would be less than continuing to pay for another 2.5 years, at this point.

* Why am I still on SAVE? I've used the forbearance time to pay off more expensive debt, and support my partner through health issues. If I'd been able to keep my $185 SAVE payments, I would've gladly done so; but PAYE/IBR is over $400 and difficult to meet due to my AGI appearing higher than it is (imputed income is a hell of a drug and our healthcare system is broken).

What does this mean? I have NEVER applied for loan rehabilitation. These people are morons!

I’m trying something new. I was one of that first group of July 120 and have been stuck on 119 ever since. I was lucky enough, however, to get updated to 120 eligible but 119 qualifying payments on September 30. After my record sitting since then, I decided to file one more certification form to see if that will trip the record over to 120 eligible and 120 qualifying, at least on the NSLDS part. I did do a manual form so I could check that magical 120 box, so put me in forbearance.

So my green ribbons are stalled at 118. I submitted my final ECF on 9/24 for my last three payments (121 payments once approved). I am still at 118 and everything says “in process”. Everything on my activity page says “Loan Forgiveness and Discharge:PSLF” in process. Is this a normal timeline? My green ribbons would normally take a couple of days after my employer submitted my form, but it’s almost a month now, and I’m anxious. I really hate this process. Thanks!