Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 9 - Issue 12

On Wednesday, the Education Department (ED) announced that it has made applications for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans and loan consolidation available to borrowers. Recall that, in late February, ED removed access to all IDR applications and the federal Direct Consolidation Loan Application as a result of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals instructing a lower court to expand its injunction from the forgiveness component on the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan to the entire SAVE Plan and to enjoin the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) plans. Borrowers will not be able to apply for SAVE or REPAYE, but they may now apply for the Income-Based Repayment (IBR), PAYE, and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans.

An estimate from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows the rate of student loan borrowers behind on payments at an all-time high.

There were no relevant student-aid related bills recently introduced for consideration by the 119th Congress (2025-26).