Public Service Loan Forgiveness Recalculation Reduces Payment Counts for Some Borrowers

The Department of Education recalculated payment counts for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program this summer to correct technical errors dating back to 2024, and some borrowers found months of qualifying payments removed from their totals.

The PSLF program forgives the remaining federal student loan balance for borrowers who work full-time for qualifying government or nonprofit employers and make 120 qualifying monthly payments. The recalculation was triggered by what the department described as "counter code errors" that had been affecting payment counts since 2024.

Borrowers who had been tracking their progress toward forgiveness discovered in recent weeks that their qualifying payment totals had decreased. For some, the reduction was minor. For others, it pushed their forgiveness date back by months or more.

The Department of Education has urged affected borrowers to log in to StudentAid.gov to verify their current payment counts and review their PSLF payment history. Borrowers who believe their counts are still incorrect can submit a reconsideration request through the PSLF Help Tool on the site.

The PSLF program has had a troubled history since its creation in 2007. Early implementation problems led to rejection rates above 90 percent for initial applicants. A series of waivers and fixes under the Biden administration significantly expanded the number of borrowers receiving forgiveness, but the program continues to face administrative challenges.

As of early 2026, more than 1 million borrowers have received PSLF forgiveness, with an average discharge of approximately 70,000 dollars per borrower. The program covers teachers, nurses, social workers, government employees, and others in public service roles.

Experian reported the recalculation as part of its September 2026 personal finance news roundup.