Status Report for IDR, PSLF Backlog Resumes Following Government Shutdown
By Hugh T. Ferguson, NASFAA Managing Editor
A new legal filing provided partial details on the number of pending and outstanding income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Buyback program applications with the Department of Education (ED), as the department resumed its data submission for a court-ordered status report, which had been paused due to a lapse in appropriations.
Prior to Monday’s data, ED reached an agreement with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) that would offer more borrowers a pathway to forgiveness and ensure that eligible applicants are not subject to a tax bill due to processing delays, pending final court approval.
This latest data was initially expected in November, but it was not made available due to the government shutdown, resulting in the department providing “estimates” based on currently available data. Starting next month, ED will resume utilizing hard data for all data points outlined below.
According to the legal filing as of November 30, 2025, pending IDR applications pending now total an estimated 802,730, while PSLF Buyback applications pending total an estimated 80,210.
While this latest data is only an estimate, it suggests a possible increase in pending applications for both IDR and PSLF.
In Monday’s legal filing, ED issued a correction for August’s data - the last status report received pre-shutdown - and noted that from August 1-31, there were actually 748,311 IDR applications pending instead of the reported 1,076,266. No correction was issued for pending PSLF Buyback applications, which totaled 74,510.
Since the government is funded through January 31, 2026, the next data report is expected in mid-January and is not expected to be disrupted due to a lapse in appropriations.
Publication Date: 12/17/2025
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