IBR Loan Forgiveness on Pause
In homes across the country, parents, caregivers, and working people are carrying a burden they were told would be lifted. After decades of student loan payments under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, many have now reached the finish line — only to find that the system has paused. The U.S. Department of Education recently confirmed that it is not currently processing student loan forgiveness for borrowers on the IBR plan. For some, this pause began quietly in 2024. Only now is it being publicly acknowledged. A Promise Delayed IBR is a repayment plan designed to help families manage loan payments based on income. Under federal law, borrowers are eligible for forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of repayment. Yet forgiveness under IBR has been paused while the Department says it works on system updates. These updates are related to legal rulings involving other student loan plans, though IBR is not
