What changed / October 2026
This is the October 2026 page. See November 2026: the latest deadlines and changes →
Every item checked against the official source on Oct 22, 2026
Federal student loans in October 2026
As of Oct. 22, 2026, no new forgiveness program has been announced this month and no student loan rule has changed. The dates that matter are your own SAVE notice deadline (servicers are notifying every SAVE borrower before the end of 2026) and Dec. 31, 2026, the last day to enroll in auto pay for the 1-point interest rate cut. The 2027–28 FAFSA has been open since Sept. 23. Wage garnishment and Treasury offset are still paused, with no restart date announced.
Deadlines
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Your notice date + 90 days | SAVE borrowers: pick a new repayment plan. Servicers send a 90-day notice, then a final 30-day notice; after that you are placed in Standard, or Tiered Standard if you have a loan from July 1, 2026 or later. The Department says every SAVE borrower will be notified before the end of 2026. studentaid.gov · More |
| Dec. 2, 2026 | CRI and Nelnet change the mailing address for payments sent by mail (each servicer’s contact page, checked Nov. 10; this page showed Nov. 4 until then). nelnet.studentaid.gov · More |
| Dec. 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET | Last moment to enroll in auto pay and get a 1-point interest rate cut on eligible Direct Loans through June 30, 2028. ed.gov · More |
| 90 days after your PSLF count letter | Deadline to ask for PSLF reconsideration if you disagree with your qualifying payment count (letters dated on or after July 1, 2023). studentaid.gov · More |
| 120 days before your recertification date | Automatic income recertification for income-driven plans begins; StudentAid.gov recommends submitting a manual recertification 90 days early. studentaid.gov · More |
In effect now
| Since | What |
|---|---|
| Since Sept. 23, 2026 | 2027–28 FAFSA is open. Federal deadline: 11:59 p.m. Central time, June 30, 2028. The Department says renewal forms will be pre-filled from earlier FAFSA forms “later this fall”. ed.gov · deadlines |
| Since Sept. 30, 2026 | Defaulted Loans Support Center at studentaid.gov/default-support: rehabilitate, consolidate or pay a defaulted loan online. ed.gov · More |
| Since Jan. 16, 2026 | Wage garnishment and Treasury offset on defaulted loans are paused. StudentAid.gov still says “currently paused”; no restart date has been announced. studentaid.gov · More |
| Since July 1, 2026 | RAP and Tiered Standard are open; you can apply at any time. New loans carry 6.52% (undergraduate), 8.07% (graduate) and 9.07% (PLUS). studentaid.gov · More |
| Oct. 1, 2026 | Loan fees did not change: 1.057% for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized, 4.228% for PLUS, for loans first paid out before Oct. 1, 2027. studentaid.gov · More |
Student loan forgiveness in October 2026
The Department’s press releases from Sept. 1 to Oct. 22, 2026 cover the FAFSA launch, the auto pay deadline and the defaulted loans center; none announces new forgiveness. Forgiveness continues through PSLF (120 qualifying payments), income-driven plans (20 or 25 years on IBR, 30 on RAP) and the discharge programs. Income-driven forgiveness with a last payment on or after Jan. 1, 2026 is taxed as federal income; StudentAid.gov adds that borrowers who reached their forgiveness milestone before Jan. 1, 2026 aren’t taxed even if the discharge happens later. studentaid.gov · Taxes on forgiveness · PSLF calculator
Next on the calendar
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Nov. 5, 2026 Date set | Published: for tax year 2027 the student loan interest deduction (up to $2,500) phases out between $90,000 and $105,000 of MAGI ($180,000–$210,000 joint). The return you file in early 2027 still uses the 2026 range. irs.gov · Interest deduction calculator |
| Nov. 12, 2026 Date set | Aidvantage: mailed payments go to U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 4163, Binghamton, NY 13902. aidvantage.studentaid.gov · Loan servicers |
| Dec. 2, 2026 Date set | CRI and Nelnet change the mailing address for payments sent by mail. nelnet.studentaid.gov · Loan servicers |
| By Dec. 31, 2026 Date set | Servicers finish sending every SAVE borrower a notice to pick a new plan (90 days, then a final 30-day notice). studentaid.gov · SAVE ended: your deadline |
| Dec. 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET Date set | Last moment to enroll in auto pay for a 1-point interest rate cut on eligible Direct Loans through June 30, 2028. ed.gov · Auto pay rate cut |
| Mid-January 2027 Expected | 2027 HHS poverty guidelines. They change the IBR payment (and the RAP calculator’s IBR column) for anyone recertifying after they take effect. federalregister.gov · Data report (new edition) and RAP calculator |
Twelve months of dates, with how each one is known: the federal student loan calendar.
Not announced yet
- A restart date for wage garnishment and Treasury offset.
- When StudentAid.gov will show income-driven payment counters again: the Department says court actions require it to change how they are displayed.
- A date for separating Joint Consolidation Loans (the Department says it is “working on implementing” it).
Official status: studentaid.gov. We add these here when the Department publishes them.
Coming later
| Spring 2027 | On IBR and PAYE, the interest subsidy will require on-time, full payments. studentaid.gov |
| July 1, 2027 | New loans lose the unemployment and economic hardship deferments. studentaid.gov |
| By July 1, 2028 | PAYE and ICR close; borrowers who haven’t chosen another plan are moved. studentaid.gov |
Your servicer’s letters set your own dates. Check your StudentAid.gov account and your servicer’s messages; help from them is free. Compare the plans open to you.
Newer: November 2026 · Every rule change since 2025: What changed. Not financial or legal advice.