Key Points
- The Department of Education removed forgiveness trackers for IDR, leaving borrowers unable to monitor progress.
- Technical problems and staffing cuts have delayed forgiveness processing, even for borrowers under IBR who should qualify, with no timeline for restoration.
- Senator Warren says the IDR tracker will return, but no date has been provided and borrower confusion continues.
Student loan borrowers trying to monitor their progress toward student loan forgiveness under federal programs remain in limbo. The Department of Education has removed key payment count features from StudentAid.gov, and while officials promise restoration is on the way, updates have stalled.
The missing tool affects borrowers in Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) repayment plans such as IBR, PAYE, ICR, and SAVE. This tracker is used by millions of Americans aiming for student loan forgiveness after years of qualifying payments. Without access to updated counts, many are left guessing about their status.
What's more frustrating, is that the Department of Education is also NOT processing loan forgiveness related to IDR plans, including Income Based Repayment (IBR), which is allowed by law despite lawsuits blocking other plans. This is the current notice on StudentAid.gov:
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Progress Tracking Features Disappear
Borrowers were previously able to check how many payments counted toward forgiveness under IDR plans, which include Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and the now-suspended SAVE plan. The tracker showed monthly and total qualifying payments, offering a clearer picture of how close someone was to loan forgiveness.
It was located on StudentAid and looked like this:
By April, the tool was taken down. The Department of Education said the removal was temporary, citing the need to fix reporting issues. Some users had reported inaccuracies or no data at all, but the department offered no timeline for when the tracker would return. Since then, IDR forgiveness has also been legally paused for several plans (ICR and PAYE) due to the 8th Circuit Court injunction impacting SAVE.
Meanwhile, PSLF data still appears on StudentAid.gov but updates have been intermittent. That includes people nearing the 120-payment threshold required for full forgiveness. This is what the PSLF tracker looks like, as borrowers wait for the coveted "green banner":
Roadblocks For Borrowers
The confusion comes as the entire federal loan servicing system faces pressure from multiple directions: court rulings, the new Big Beautiful Bill going into effect next year, and administrative changes starting soon for SAVE borrowers.
A federal appeals court has blocked forgiveness under the SAVE, PAYE, and ICR plans, citing a lack of Congressional authorization. Only IBR, which was enacted by law, remains eligible for forgiveness.
But even those on IBR report no action on their accounts. Some say they have already crossed the forgiveness mark, but discharges are not being processed.
Department Of Education Offers Few Details
When contacted, MOHELA and other servicers are directing borrowers to StudentAid.gov. A message on MOHELA’s phone system says:
“Federal Student Aid has temporarily removed the forgiveness payment counts from StudentAid.gov for Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment. Unfortunately, our representatives do not have any additional information related to your forgiveness counts. Please continue to visit StudentAid.gov for updates."
Senator Elizabeth Warren recently said in a statement that Secretary of Education Linda McMahon confirmed that the IDR tracker would return “soon,” though no firm date has been released.
Future Uncertainty
More than 1.5 million borrowers are now waiting for IDR applications to be processed, often because they’re trying to switch plans in the wake of the SAVE plan’s suspension. And with interest returning for SAVE next month, that number could grow.
The passage of the “Big, Beautiful Bill” this month, signed into law by President Trump, will reshape many student loan repayment options starting next year. That legislation preserves specifically ends the ICR, PAYE, and SAVE plans. IBR remains, but only for existing borrowers.
Until then, for many borrowers trying to track their progress toward forgiveness, it’s a guessing game.
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Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.
He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.