An Attack on PSLF Buyback + SAVE Forbearance Strategies

EPISODE RESOURCES
Details on SAVE Forbearance

PSLF Buyback Under Fire: New Rules, SAVE Off-Ramp Deadlines, Refinancing Headwinds, and How to Protect Your Loan Records

The episode reviews major recent federal student loan changes, focusing on a new Department of Education restriction that effectively blocks new borrowers from using the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Buyback program. The host explains PSLF eligibility (Direct Loans, full-time qualifying employment, and an income-driven repayment plan) and how Buyback, created in 2023, lets eligible borrowers repay what they would have owed during deferment/forbearance to restore PSLF credit. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, SAVE is eliminated and older IDR plans will be phased out; borrowers taking loans on/after July 1 are limited to Tiered Standard or the Repayment Assistance Plan, and deferment/forbearance months from those plans can’t be bought back, making Buyback unusable for new borrowers. The host also covers SAVE forbearance 90-day notices and default standard-plan placements, warns refinancing is harder due to higher yields, and urges manual tracking and downloading StudentAid.gov aid data amid servicing errors.

00:00 Big PSLF Buyback Shakeup
01:08 PSLF Rules Refresher
02:11 Why Buyback Exists
05:34 New Rule Blocks Borrowers
08:39 Plan Choice Strategy
09:44 SAVE Forbearance Deadlines
10:47 Forced Standard Plans Explained
12:27 Refinancing Gets Harder
13:46 Track Everything Manually
15:31 Wrap Up and Next Steps