Public Loan Forgiveness Overhaul

[seeyalater52]

Nov 18, 2021 12:56:00 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Nov 18, 2021 10:58:09 GMT -5 Doggy Mommy said:

My consolidation to Direct Loans went through and today I faxed in the PSLF paperwork. Fingers crossed! But my colleague sent her consolidation in around the same time I did and it was denied, and she can't figure out why. Her friend's was also denied. Clearly there are still big problems that have not been addressed.

Mine was denied, too. It looks like they are basically not counting any payments before March 2013, even though I went into repayment in November 2008 and have been almost consistently employed by non-profits since then (I should have about 15 months after 2014 that don't count because I wasn't at a qualifying employer). They are showing nothing at all before 2011, and that I was in forbearance for almost 2 years from 2011-2013. I was not. I did do a 6 month forbearance around that time but there is no way it was 2 years. Of course, there is no way within my account to actually SEE payments or records from that time period, so I guess I'm supposed to take their word for it that my memory is wrong?

I filed a Freedom of Information Act request that will hopefully give me records of all of my payments, and then I can resubmit with evidence. But I am definitely discouraged. I am much closer to forgiveness than I was before, even without all those payments, but if none of this gets straightened out, I won't be eligible for almost another 4 years. You know, after paying on my loans for 16+ years already at that point...

Ugh I’m sorry. That would put you in a similar situation to what I complained about upthread where your remaining years of payments would need to be in a qualifying plan and that may not be cost effective or provide an actual benefit for forgiveness. I hope the FOIA helps you resolve it!

[wildrice]

Nov 18, 2021 14:34:07 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Nov 18, 2021 12:56:00 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Mine was denied, too. It looks like they are basically not counting any payments before March 2013, even though I went into repayment in November 2008 and have been almost consistently employed by non-profits since then (I should have about 15 months after 2014 that don't count because I wasn't at a qualifying employer). They are showing nothing at all before 2011, and that I was in forbearance for almost 2 years from 2011-2013. I was not. I did do a 6 month forbearance around that time but there is no way it was 2 years. Of course, there is no way within my account to actually SEE payments or records from that time period, so I guess I'm supposed to take their word for it that my memory is wrong?

I filed a Freedom of Information Act request that will hopefully give me records of all of my payments, and then I can resubmit with evidence. But I am definitely discouraged. I am much closer to forgiveness than I was before, even without all those payments, but if none of this gets straightened out, I won't be eligible for almost another 4 years. You know, after paying on my loans for 16+ years already at that point...

Ugh I’m sorry. That would put you in a similar situation to what I complained about upthread where your remaining years of payments would need to be in a qualifying plan and that may not be cost effective or provide an actual benefit for forgiveness. I hope the FOIA helps you resolve it!

Exactly. I am not sure where I'll go from there if this doesn't go through, honestly. My situation is further complicated by the fact that my H has almost 110k in student loans, too, and we previously assumed he'd be eligible for forgiveness from working in a non-profit for his career, but he ended up accepting what seems to be sort of a dream job - with a for profit company. He's only been out of school for 2 years, so he is nowhere near being eligible for forgiveness, so we are probably just going to try to diligently pay them off as quickly as we can. But I still owe around 43k so if I don't get that forgiven, that puts us even further behind.

The part that is the hardest to swallow is that together, we only borrowed around 110k combined, but currently we owe over 150k and I've already been making payments for the better part of 13 years at $350 a month! That math is criminal. 

I am so tired of all of this. 

[gretchenindisguise]

The whole program is so broken. There are so many, myself included, who lost years of data because of the Direct Loans mismanagement and poor record keeping. It’s so crazy how they can just say “we lost them and it’s your fault.” There is some hope that maybe the ED has them or the FOIA works but it shouldn’t be this hard.

[gretchenindisguise]

Nov 18, 2021 15:24:30 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

The whole program is so broken. There are so many, myself included, who lost years of data because of the Direct Loans mismanagement and poor record keeping. It’s so crazy how they can just say “we lost them and it’s your fault.” There is some hope that maybe the ED has them or the FOIA works but it shouldn’t be this hard.

Quoting myself because if this is true - it could make the whole thing I just posted defunct. It’s what I’ve been telling my husband they should do.

“ This week, the Department also clarified how it will go about counting “payments” for purposes of the Limited PSLF Waiver. Rather than going back and using a loan servicer’s actual payment history for a borrower, the Department confirmed that it will simply use a borrower’s repayment status as reported to Federal Student Aid.

“You may receive credits for any month after Oct. 2007 that you had qualifying employment and were in an ‘In Repayment’ status,” says the Department. “Past periods of repayment will now count regardless of whether you made a payment, made that payment on time, for the full amount due, on a qualifying repayment plan.”

www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2021/11/18/student-loan-forgiveness-education-department-clarifies-rules-for-expanded-new-program/amp/?fbclid=IwAR2n2JS2_8IX5k1_QoMUvu6oDKjWYlSzsqxkKIxC4TgkmD55Fj-IQYVQgsA

[Mushe]

Wow, that would be great, gretchenindisguise! I started reading that article at lunch and I’m glad someone actually finished it. 😆

I had downloaded my aid history from the student loans site earlier today, and I was pissed that it showed me in forbearance for about 1.5 years right after grad school. I definitely paid during that time, but had switched payment plans and it was all very confusing as I had multiple servicers. If they use my status, I’ll still be over 120, but I’d lose 8 months of payments between the start of PSLF and when they show me in repayment.

[gretchenindisguise]

Nov 18, 2021 17:41:58 GMT -5 Mushe said:

Wow, that would be great, gretchenindisguise! I started reading that article at lunch and I’m glad someone actually finished it. 😆

I had downloaded my aid history from the student loans site earlier today, and I was pissed that it showed me in forbearance for about 1.5 years right after grad school. I definitely paid during that time, but had switched payment plans and it was all very confusing as I had multiple servicers. If they use my status, I’ll still be over 120, but I’d lose 8 months of payments between the start of PSLF and when they show me in repayment.

Yeah, mine are showing no history before 8/2010 and I definitely paid between 1/2010 and 8/2010. I’m just hoping that it simply won’t matter anymore for me.

[curbsideprophet]

For those who had to consolidate their loans into direct loans, how did your new interest rate compare to your existing rate? How long is the new direct loan for? How does the payment of that loan compare to your current payment?

I need to consolidate to direct loans but it seems like the interest rate will be higher. I am paranoid I am going to consolidate then be denied for some reason.

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 20, 2022 10:16:52 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

For those who had to consolidate their loans into direct loans, how did your new interest rate compare to your existing rate? How long is the new direct loan for? How does the payment of that loan compare to your current payment?

I need to consolidate to direct loans but it seems like the interest rate will be higher. I am paranoid I am going to consolidate then be denied for some reason.

The interest rate will be a weighted average. Your payment in income driven repayment is based on your income, not your loan balance.

How many years of “in repayment” do you have on FSA (studentaid.gov)?

We’ve all been burned, but they really do seem to be following the current waiver guidance. If you qualify they’ll be forgiven.

[curbsideprophet]

Mar 20, 2022 11:41:58 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Mar 20, 2022 10:16:52 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

For those who had to consolidate their loans into direct loans, how did your new interest rate compare to your existing rate? How long is the new direct loan for? How does the payment of that loan compare to your current payment?

I need to consolidate to direct loans but it seems like the interest rate will be higher. I am paranoid I am going to consolidate then be denied for some reason.

The interest rate will be a weighted average. Your payment in income driven repayment is based on your income, not your loan balance.

How many years of “in repayment” do you have on FSA (studentaid.gov)?

We’ve all been burned, but they really do seem to be following the current waiver guidance. If you qualify they’ll be forgiven.

I am not currently in income driven repayment, which is one of the reasons I never applied before. If I consolidate to the direct loan will it be income based?

How do I see how years of "in repayment" I have?

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 20, 2022 11:54:15 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Mar 20, 2022 11:41:58 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

The interest rate will be a weighted average. Your payment in income driven repayment is based on your income, not your loan balance.

How many years of “in repayment” do you have on FSA (studentaid.gov)?

We’ve all been burned, but they really do seem to be following the current waiver guidance. If you qualify they’ll be forgiven.

I am not currently in income driven repayment, which is one of the reasons I never applied before. If I consolidate to the direct loan will it be income based?

How do I see how years of "in repayment" I have?

C&p from the fb group:

1) Log into studentaid.gov

2) In the My Aid box, click View Details

3) Scroll down to Loan Breakdown

4) For each section that shows a balance (even $0 balance if you’ve consolidated before), click View Loans.

5) Select a loan and click View Loan Details

6) Click View Loan Status History

7) Do that for every loan that has a balance, or for any loans included in a consolidation, and note which months are listed as In Repayment


Eta: any month listed as “in repayment” that you also had qualifying employment will count with this waiver. Even if you were also in a non-pay status for part of the month (ie grace, deferment or forbearance).

Eta2: after Oct 2022, it will need to be one of the qualifying pslf payment plans to count. studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans

[curbsideprophet]

gretchenindisguise,

So if i look at Loan Status History, it just says in repayment, effect date 12/6/2002. Does that mean everything since 12/6/2002 would count?

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 20, 2022 12:53:01 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

gretchenindisguise,

So if i look at Loan Status History, it just says in repayment, effect date 12/6/2002. Does that mean everything since 12/6/2002 would count?

Everything post 10/2007 because that’s when pslf started. If you’ve been in straight repayment since then with a qualified employer, then once you’re consolidated into the correct loans you shouldn’t have to pay another cent. If they haven’t finished doing your paperwork by the time the payment pause has ended, you can ask to go into forbearance while you wait.

Eta (because apparently that’s what I’m doing today). When you consolidate- choose FedLoan as your servicer because they are the only ones who can do pslf. Once your loans are there, upload the form through their portal and wait.

[curbsideprophet]

Mar 20, 2022 13:01:09 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Mar 20, 2022 12:53:01 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

gretchenindisguise ,

So if i look at Loan Status History, it just says in repayment, effect date 12/6/2002. Does that mean everything since 12/6/2002 would count?

Everything post 10/2007 because that’s when pslf started. If you’ve been in straight repayment since then with a qualified employer, then once you’re consolidated into the correct loans you shouldn’t have to pay another cent. If they haven’t finished doing your paperwork by the time the payment pause has ended, you can ask to go into forbearance while you wait.

Eta (because apparently that’s what I’m doing today). When you consolidate- choose FedLoan as your servicer because they are the only ones who can do pslf. Once your loans are there, upload the form through their portal and wait.

Thanks so much.

[emilyj]

Nov 18, 2021 12:56:00 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Nov 18, 2021 10:58:09 GMT -5 Doggy Mommy said:

My consolidation to Direct Loans went through and today I faxed in the PSLF paperwork. Fingers crossed! But my colleague sent her consolidation in around the same time I did and it was denied, and she can't figure out why. Her friend's was also denied. Clearly there are still big problems that have not been addressed.

Mine was denied, too. It looks like they are basically not counting any payments before March 2013, even though I went into repayment in November 2008 and have been almost consistently employed by non-profits since then (I should have about 15 months after 2014 that don't count because I wasn't at a qualifying employer). They are showing nothing at all before 2011, and that I was in forbearance for almost 2 years from 2011-2013. I was not. I did do a 6 month forbearance around that time but there is no way it was 2 years. Of course, there is no way within my account to actually SEE payments or records from that time period, so I guess I'm supposed to take their word for it that my memory is wrong?

I filed a Freedom of Information Act request that will hopefully give me records of all of my payments, and then I can resubmit with evidence. But I am definitely discouraged. I am much closer to forgiveness than I was before, even without all those payments, but if none of this gets straightened out, I won't be eligible for almost another 4 years. You know, after paying on my loans for 16+ years already at that point...

This was me as well. I originally got denied because I wasn’t in the right payment program. Then some of my payments counted but not others. Blah blah blah what everyone else has said. I started paying in Nov 2010, but history didn’t show anything for me prior to 2013.

I did a FOIA and basically went full Karen, and copied every government official I thought was relevant. My senators, congressmen, people in the DOE. I basically took the loan company’s last communication to me where they answered none of my questions, pointed all of that out, attached the FOIA of my payment history, and two weeks later all my loans were forgiven.

It took me a year and a half of fighting with them to get it done.

[bimbi284]

Mar 20, 2022 13:01:09 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Mar 20, 2022 12:53:01 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

gretchenindisguise,

So if i look at Loan Status History, it just says in repayment, effect date 12/6/2002. Does that mean everything since 12/6/2002 would count?

Everything post 10/2007 because that’s when pslf started. If you’ve been in straight repayment since then with a qualified employer, then once you’re consolidated into the correct loans you shouldn’t have to pay another cent. If they haven’t finished doing your paperwork by the time the payment pause has ended, you can ask to go into forbearance while you wait.

Eta (because apparently that’s what I’m doing today). When you consolidate- choose FedLoan as your servicer because they are the only ones who can do pslf. Once your loans are there, upload the form through their portal and wait.

FedLoan is no longer servicing PSLF
studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fedloan-stop-servicing-loans

Looks like it will be serviced by either MOHELA, Edfinancial, and Nelnet

[Jalapeñomel]

I still have no change on my page.

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 21, 2022 19:15:22 GMT -5 bimbi284 said:

Mar 20, 2022 13:01:09 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Everything post 10/2007 because that’s when pslf started. If you’ve been in straight repayment since then with a qualified employer, then once you’re consolidated into the correct loans you shouldn’t have to pay another cent. If they haven’t finished doing your paperwork by the time the payment pause has ended, you can ask to go into forbearance while you wait.

Eta (because apparently that’s what I’m doing today). When you consolidate- choose FedLoan as your servicer because they are the only ones who can do pslf. Once your loans are there, upload the form through their portal and wait.

FedLoan is no longer servicing PSLF
studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fedloan-stop-servicing-loans

Looks like it will be serviced by either MOHELA, Edfinancial, and Nelnet

Yes they are. Their contract was extended until the end of 2022. They are still the ONLY servicer who can do pslf.

Mohela will be taking over eventually, but not yet. Nobody else is doing pslf forgiveness at this time.

[bimbi284]

Mar 21, 2022 20:08:50 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Mar 21, 2022 19:15:22 GMT -5 bimbi284 said:

FedLoan is no longer servicing PSLF
studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fedloan-stop-servicing-loans

Looks like it will be serviced by either MOHELA, Edfinancial, and Nelnet

Yes they are. Their contract was extended until the end of 2022. They are still the ONLY servicer who can do pslf.

Mohela will be taking over eventually, but not yet. Nobody else is doing pslf forgiveness at this time.

Thanks for clarifying.
I applied for PSLF back in June, and all my loans were transferred from Great Lakes to FedLoan, but they haven’t updated anything since then, so I don’t know for sure how many payments I’ll have left to make. I’m in this weird sort of limbo where aside from everything being transferred to FedLoan, nothing else has happened. I couldn’t even make a payment if I wanted to because I can’t update anything in my account, I’m guessing due to everything being paused from the pandemic.

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 21, 2022 21:55:45 GMT -5 bimbi284 said:

Mar 21, 2022 20:08:50 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Yes they are. Their contract was extended until the end of 2022. They are still the ONLY servicer who can do pslf.

Mohela will be taking over eventually, but not yet. Nobody else is doing pslf forgiveness at this time.

Thanks for clarifying.
I applied for PSLF back in June, and all my loans were transferred from Great Lakes to FedLoan, but they haven’t updated anything since then, so I don’t know for sure how many payments I’ll have left to make. I’m in this weird sort of limbo where aside from everything being transferred to FedLoan, nothing else has happened. I couldn’t even make a payment if I wanted to because I can’t update anything in my account, I’m guessing due to everything being paused from the pandemic.

You were transferred back in June to fedloan?

Something should have happened by now. I would either call to get them to find the old pslf/ecf and have it put in for review, or submit a new pslf/ecf. Either will kick in the waiver being applied to your account.

[wildrice]

Mar 20, 2022 21:57:20 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Nov 18, 2021 12:56:00 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Mine was denied, too. It looks like they are basically not counting any payments before March 2013, even though I went into repayment in November 2008 and have been almost consistently employed by non-profits since then (I should have about 15 months after 2014 that don't count because I wasn't at a qualifying employer). They are showing nothing at all before 2011, and that I was in forbearance for almost 2 years from 2011-2013. I was not. I did do a 6 month forbearance around that time but there is no way it was 2 years. Of course, there is no way within my account to actually SEE payments or records from that time period, so I guess I'm supposed to take their word for it that my memory is wrong?

I filed a Freedom of Information Act request that will hopefully give me records of all of my payments, and then I can resubmit with evidence. But I am definitely discouraged. I am much closer to forgiveness than I was before, even without all those payments, but if none of this gets straightened out, I won't be eligible for almost another 4 years. You know, after paying on my loans for 16+ years already at that point...

This was me as well. I originally got denied because I wasn’t in the right payment program. Then some of my payments counted but not others. Blah blah blah what everyone else has said. I started paying in Nov 2010, but history didn’t show anything for me prior to 2013.

I did a FOIA and basically went full Karen, and copied every government official I thought was relevant. My senators, congressmen, people in the DOE. I basically took the loan company’s last communication to me where they answered none of my questions, pointed all of that out, attached the FOIA of my payment history, and two weeks later all my loans were forgiven.

It took me a year and a half of fighting with them to get it done.

Yikes! Thankfully, my loans actually did get forgiven in January! That said, I never got my FOIA information - maybe it's still coming? And I actually never saw any kind of payment count so I don't know if I should have been due a refund. It went from showing that I was like 40 payments off to being forgiven with no other information in between. If they were counting my payments all the way back to 2008, I think I would have had at least a year of overpayment... but I don't know what they counted. I guess if my FOIA ever shows up I can take a look. 

[okla]

XP from the ML thread:

The waiver was applied to my H’s account today and he got the trophy on FedLoan that said he’s made 120 qualifying payments!!!! 

He was one that didn’t need to do anything extra except keep certifying his current employment and wait for the waiver to be applied. He was already in right loan type and payment type and in the PSLF process. He had about 15 months paying and working in non-profits before he consolidated to direct loans in 2012. Also had some late payments that didn’t count, and various periods of forbearance.

About a week ago, the employer cert he sent in in Jan for 2021 was applied, and then today looks like waiver applied to cover those 15 months, the late payments, and the months where it flip-flopped between payment and forbearance in the same month.

I had calculated that he’d have 111 payments after the waiver, but I didn’t include the weird forbearance months.

Now we just wait for mine. I had to do the whole rigamarole because I had never consolidated to direct loans, but that’s done and FedLoan has received my PSLF application.

[ellipses84]

[mention]wildrice [/mention] I’m not clear on the refund requirements either. I think you had to have the right type of loan during the payment month to get a refund for any months beyond 10 years. So it’s not retroactive and people who are consolidating the wrong loan type won’t get a refund. Anyone correct me if they know of someone who got a refund with the wrong loan type.

The program is confusing for people who graduated prior to 2007 because the loan types and payment plan offerings were different. There are so many people who were on graduated plans because they couldn’t afford payments, but graduated plans are not considered IDR plans.

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 26, 2022 12:07:26 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

[mention]wildrice [/mention] I’m not clear on the refund requirements either. I think you had to have the right type of loan during the payment month to get a refund for any months beyond 10 years. So it’s not retroactive and people who are consolidating the wrong loan type won’t get a refund. Anyone correct me if they know of someone who got a refund with the wrong loan type.

The program is confusing for people who graduated prior to 2007 because the loan types and payment plan offerings were different. There are so many people who were on graduated plans because they couldn’t afford payments, but graduated plans are not considered IDR plans.

Refunds are only available for payments over 120 on direct loans only.

All of the graduated payments will count with the waiver. And if you don’t have 120 payments by Oct 2022, the newly added "waiver payments" are yours to keep past the waiver period. After Oct 2022, you will need to be on the right payment plan but at least the past ones will count.

[taratru]

Only paid 4 years of extra payments because of "wrong type", so yeah...it's fine. No whoop. Had so much extra money that I put my direct loans in forbearance, which means I didn't get to 120, and I won't because I left the country.

*sigh*

Wouldn't it be cool if we didn't make education so hard?

[ellipses84]

Mar 27, 2022 6:04:22 GMT -5 taratru said:

Only paid 4 years of extra payments because of "wrong type", so yeah...it's fine. No whoop. Had so much extra money that I put my direct loans in forbearance, which means I didn't get to 120, and I won't because I left the country.

*sigh*

Wouldn't it be cool if we didn't make education so hard?

If those 4 years counted would you reach 120? A lot of people who don’t think they are at 120 have been forgiven during the waiver period, having past wrong loan types, past wrong payment types count, with the longest payment count applied to all loans, and some have had some forbearance periods count if they were partial months. Also, if you ever think your situation will change, you can get grandfathered into the waiver counts. If not, fingers crossed for $10-$50k of blanket forgiveness!

[gretchenindisguise]

Mar 29, 2022 8:47:07 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

Mar 27, 2022 6:04:22 GMT -5 taratru said:

Only paid 4 years of extra payments because of "wrong type", so yeah...it's fine. No whoop. Had so much extra money that I put my direct loans in forbearance, which means I didn't get to 120, and I won't because I left the country.

*sigh*

Wouldn't it be cool if we didn't make education so hard?

If those 4 years counted would you reach 120? A lot of people who don’t think they are at 120 have been forgiven during the waiver period, having past wrong loan types, past wrong payment types count, with the longest payment count applied to all loans, and some have had some forbearance periods count if they were partial months. Also, if you ever think your situation will change, you can get grandfathered into the waiver counts. If not, fingers crossed for $10-$50k of blanket forgiveness!

Yes, but make sure to do it before Oct 2022 when the waiver period ends. Anything you get certified before Oct 2022 will stay with you past that date, but if you wait until Nov 1 2022, you won't get them.

[taratru]

Mar 29, 2022 8:47:07 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

Mar 27, 2022 6:04:22 GMT -5 taratru said:

Only paid 4 years of extra payments because of "wrong type", so yeah...it's fine. No whoop. Had so much extra money that I put my direct loans in forbearance, which means I didn't get to 120, and I won't because I left the country.

*sigh*

Wouldn't it be cool if we didn't make education so hard?

If those 4 years counted would you reach 120? A lot of people who don’t think they are at 120 have been forgiven during the waiver period, having past wrong loan types, past wrong payment types count, with the longest payment count applied to all loans, and some have had some forbearance periods count if they were partial months. Also, if you ever think your situation will change, you can get grandfathered into the waiver counts. If not, fingers crossed for $10-$50k of blanket forgiveness!

I had 120 in 2017. They didn't count because they were the wrong type. Reimbursement is only for fed loans, which these aren't. I've consolidated and submitted the form. I'll take whatever they give me in terms of forgiveness, and I'll also be angry as hell for the four extra years I paid when I shouldn't have had to.

[Vespasia]

I had a mixture of graduate and undergraduate loans, all direct. Some were 10+ years old and others were just a few years old. I consolidated them, which is what I thought you were supposed to do...

I FINALLY got my review complete notification and they're just counting the 4 payments since the consolidation. So basically I think I'm screwed?

[wildrice]

Apr 5, 2022 8:42:48 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

I had a mixture of graduate and undergraduate loans, all direct. Some were 10+ years old and others were just a few years old. I consolidated them, which is what I thought you were supposed to do...

I FINALLY got my review complete notification and they're just counting the 4 payments since the consolidation. So basically I think I'm screwed?

They probably haven't applied the waiver yet. Mine were already consolidated when I submitted, but it still took some time between when I first heard back about my rejection and when I was forgiven. Maybe a couple of months? 

[gretchenindisguise]

Apr 5, 2022 8:42:48 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

I had a mixture of graduate and undergraduate loans, all direct. Some were 10+ years old and others were just a few years old. I consolidated them, which is what I thought you were supposed to do...

I FINALLY got my review complete notification and they're just counting the 4 payments since the consolidation. So basically I think I'm screwed?

This is totally normal and part of the process you are definitely not screwed.

That is the fedloan count. They are only counting what they can see since you consolidated. Now you are waiting for DOE to count and add them to your count.

If you are over 120 then I’d expect to go straight to forgiveness and not see any updated counts.

If you are under 120, you’ll see the bump in counts in a few weeks. It seems to be anywhere from 2-6 weeks post fedloan count (but is sometimes longer for reasons I don’t know).