INDIANAPOLIS — The application is up and running if you want to apply for federal student loan forgiveness.
The program affects more than 40 million borrowers, according to the White House.
To be eligible, you need to have made less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021. For families, it's less than $250,000.
As for the forgiveness amount, it's up to $10,000 for most and up to $20,000 if you're a Pell Grant recipient.
The application is simple, with just two parts:
The first part asks for basic information like your name, Social Security number and e-mail address. The second part makes you electronically sign and attest that everything you filled out is true and correct. If you lie about your income, you could be subject to criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
While you are not asked to provide documentation at the time of application, the government could follow up via email and ask for it. Emails to borrowers come from noreply@studentaid.gov, noreply@debtrelief.studentaid.gov or ed.gov@public.govdelivery.com.
The government may follow up with borrowers for these reasons:
- We need documentation to verify your income.
- You were enrolled as a dependent student anytime between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, and we need information about your parents' income.
- We can’t match you to our loan records based on the information you provided in your application.
- We determine that you don’t have any eligible federal loans.
The application is open until December 2023. However, it's encouraged that borrowers fill it out sooner rather than later.
While there are lawsuits challenging this program, the Department of Education said borrowers can expect relief within six weeks.
You can report scam attempts to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-382-4357 or by visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.