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The U.S. Department of Education has started accepting early applications for the White House’s student loan debt relief plan in a testing stage.
Borrowers can fill out the application during its “beta launch” with the purpose of allowing the department to refine its official launch of the form. Anyone who submits the form now will not need to resubmit when the application is launched in full, officials said.
However, any applications submitted now will not be processed until the official launch of the form later this month.
“Don’t worry if you don’t get a chance to apply right now,” the department said in a news release. “There’s no advantage to applying before the full launch.”
A spokesperson for the department told CNN on Friday the testing began that night with the purpose of allowing the department to monitor the site’s performance.
The department said the testing form will be available “on and off.” If it’s not immediately available, the department recommends trying again later or waiting until the application is officially launched.
Several recent lawsuits have been filed against the Biden administration’s debt-forgiveness plan, including one awaiting judgment by a federal judge in St. Louis.
It’s unclear when U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey will rule on the case filed by six Republican-led states seeking an injunction to halt the plan.
How to apply
Eligible borrowers can apply for the debt relief until the end of 2023, and a paper version of the form is also in the works for people who can’t apply online.
The application can be found at studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application.
Applicants need only provide their personal information such as name, date of birth and Social Security number. An email confirmation will be sent to applicants when they have successfully submitted the form.
The department will reach out if it requires more information, such as income verification.
Loan servicers will apply debt relief to borrowers and notify them. The department noted it may take some time for borrowers’ accounts to reflect the change.
The administration has also warned borrowers about student debt relief scams and fraud.
To avoid scams:
- Never pay anyone to obtain debt relief.
- Familiarize yourself with your loan servicer by checking your account dashboard.
- Never give anyone your FSA password or allow anyone to create an FSA ID for you. Neither the Department of Education nor your loan servicer will ask you for your FSA ID password.
Who is eligible?
People are eligible for forgiveness if they took federal loans on or before June 30, 2022, and if their income is under $125,000 for single adults.
Borrowers can receive up to $20,000 in debt relief if they received a federal Pell Grant and up to $10,000 if they did not.
Refunds will also be available for eligible people who made voluntary payments during the COVID-19 pandemic pause on student loan payments from March 13, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2022.
Borrowers eligible for refunds should fill out the same Student Loan Debt Relief Application, and no further action is needed immediately.
More information about eligibility can be found on the loan-forgiveness website.