The Department of Education processed more IDR applications in March than any month since court-ordered tracking began, cutting the pending backlog to 553,966. That is down from 576,609 in February and from nearly 2 million in April 2025.
The March status report (PDF File), filed today in federal court, also shows IDR loan forgiveness resumed after two consecutive months of zero discharges.
By The Numbers
- 553,966 — IDR applications still pending as of March 31, 2026 (down from 576,609 in February)
- 424,583 — applications decided in March (374,572 approved, 50,011 denied)
- 321,481 — new IDR applications received in March, up 32% from February’s 243,258
- 21,200 — IDR loan discharges in March, ending a two-month gap (10,500 under IBR, 9,900 under original ICR, 800 under PAYE)
- 89,720 — PSLF Buyback applications pending, up from roughly 88,170 in February
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!
What's New: Two things stand out in the March data. First, the Department processed 424,583 applications — the highest single-month total reported under the court order. That outpaced new incoming applications by more than 103,000, which is how the backlog continues to shrink even as new filings surge.
Second, and more significant for affected borrowers: IDR forgiveness is back. The January and February reports both showed zero discharges, raising alarm among advocates and borrowers who had qualified for loan cancellation under income-driven plans. In March, 21,200 borrowers received discharges: split primarily between Income-Based Repayment (10,500) and the original Income Contingent Repayment plan (9,900).
PSLF Buyback Problem: While the IDR backlog shrinks, the PSLF Buyback queue continues to grow. Pending applications rose to 89,720, and the Department decided only 3,280 in March. At that pace, borrowers at the back of the line face a wait measured in years, not months. The Department did process 10,050 PSLF discharges during the month.
What This Means For Borrowers: If you applied for an IDR plan recently through StudentAid.gov, your application is likely processing within days. The backlog primarily affects older applications (many from early 2025 during the SAVE plan chaos) that require manual review or servicer coordination. If your application has been pending for months, contact your loan servicer directly for a status update. It's also one of the big reasons for higher denials: these old applications are likely to just be denied.
The return of IDR loan forgiveness is good news for borrowers who have met their repayment obligations and were waiting for cancellation. It’s unclear whether March’s 21,200 represents a catch-up or a return to normal processing.
How This Connects: The College Investor has tracked every monthly status report since the court order began. The IDR backlog has fallen from nearly 2 million to under 554,000, a roughly 72% reduction. But as we reported last month, the PSLF Buyback backlog is a huge wait. Even these faster processing times could mean a 2.5-year wait for public servants still in the queue.
Borrowers need to ask themselves, Is PSLF Buyback Worth It?
What To Watch: Watch whether the IDR backlog continues to drop as 7 million SAVE borrowers change plans. Also continue to watch whether PSLF buyback processing continues to ramp up.
Don't Miss These Other Stories:
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.