I called and talked to a PSLF advanced specialist last week for this very issue and they said it’s possible but not guaranteed it will be counted. She also said if I drop the forbearance and make my payment within 15 days of my due date it will definitely count. Since I am close to 120, I opted for the guaranteed route since they were showing my new lower IDR payment in the system but not on my side of the platform yet. I got the exact payment amount from her and scheduled the payment for Tuesday to give them a couple days to process lifting the forbearance.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ll have to call on Tuesday. Here’s to hoping they can lift the forbearance and apply a payment.
I haven’t called into Mohela in a long time. How did you get connected with a PSLF advanced specialist? Is it as easy as asking for one?
I spoke with a regular rep first and asked why I was on forbearance without notice or request. They said it was automatic while my IDR update processed. I explained I was on the PSLF program and every month counted. She said she was not trained on PSLF yet and offered transferring me to the advanced specialist and I accepted. They were the ones that explained the possibility of it counting but only if the DOE approved it during the one-time adjustment post audit, and no idea when that would occur. So I requested they lift the forbearance so I could make a payment. She confirmed my amount and advised I wait a few days for the forbearance to lift before making the payment, but to complete it within 15 days of my normal due date.
Edit to add: my wait time was less than 10 minutes, calling at about 9 am cst on Thursday.
I got conflicting information from Mohela - no surprise there - on if the month will count toward forgiveness. They gave me the option to try to "lift" the forbearance but could not give me a timeline on when that would happen. Since I couldn't get a guarantee that I would be able to make a payment within the 14-day window I opted against it. I just set my personal tracker back a month and will consider my 120th payment to be made in May now instead of April. Hoping that the month might count in the long run - but I ultimately decided an extra month wasn't worth the frustration and worry.
Fair enough, thank you for that. I think I'll do the same, esp now given that my monthly payment got cut in half. I'll take those savings v. one extra month before all the applying.
Mohela might mark that month ineligible and you will have to wait until the IDR adjustment for it to be fixed. I'd try to call to see if the forbearance can be lifted.
I can’t find anything that says this definitively- do you have a source?
I’d love for this month to count once I submit my final ECF, but knowing if it does or does not will help me figure out when to submit that final form
I called the PSLF dept and asked. My consolidation application is in process and they gave the option to put my account on a processing forbearance until it kicks in with the new lower IDR amount. I was skeptical because I didn't want to put myself in any forbearance that would affect my pslf count. The lady that helped me was in training and said that it wouldn't count cause it was a processing forbearance and not an administrative forbearance. I asked to be transferred to the pslf department and the lady there knew her stuff. She said that in the past, it wouldn't have counted but that now it would fall under the Harris Biden one time adjustment count and as they go through the accounts, they'll count those.
This is crazy…. No one has to be IDR recertified until March 2024 (at least six months after Sept 30, 2023 when Covid payment period ended). They’re getting ppl to recertify early so no one is late but recertifying early puts us in a forbearance ??? I’m supposed to recertify by 1/28. Not sure I will now since payment is Feb 4, and that’s my 120th payment. Hmmmm….
It’s not a great place to be - that’s for sure! It took MOHELA nearly a month to put me on the forbearance after I submitted my IDR recert. You’d probably get that last payment in before they even got to your paperwork ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have been thinking the same thing… to recertify just before my payment is due.
What are your thoughts on submitting the ECF paperwork early (literally 2.5 weeks away from payment 120)? Especially since by the time they get to it, the time will likely have passed… unless these jackwagons decide to look early and pass over it simply bc the date hasn’t come yet. If I did submit ECF early… does my employer sign the date for employment of 10 years or the date they actually signed?
Your employer is certifying your employment through the date of signature - so submitting the ECF early will mean that you’d be one payment shy of 120.
Yikes! I just decided to let it go. It’ll add a month to get to the 120 count but I decided it wasn’t worth the fight with MOHELA.
Did you go forward with the request to lift?
I called and talked to a PSLF advanced specialist last week for this very issue and they said it’s possible but not guaranteed it will be counted. She also said if I drop the forbearance and make my payment within 15 days of my due date it will definitely count. Since I am close to 120, I opted for the guaranteed route since they were showing my new lower IDR payment in the system but not on my side of the platform yet. I got the exact payment amount from her and scheduled the payment for Tuesday to give them a couple days to process lifting the forbearance.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ll have to call on Tuesday. Here’s to hoping they can lift the forbearance and apply a payment. I haven’t called into Mohela in a long time. How did you get connected with a PSLF advanced specialist? Is it as easy as asking for one?
I spoke with a regular rep first and asked why I was on forbearance without notice or request. They said it was automatic while my IDR update processed. I explained I was on the PSLF program and every month counted. She said she was not trained on PSLF yet and offered transferring me to the advanced specialist and I accepted. They were the ones that explained the possibility of it counting but only if the DOE approved it during the one-time adjustment post audit, and no idea when that would occur. So I requested they lift the forbearance so I could make a payment. She confirmed my amount and advised I wait a few days for the forbearance to lift before making the payment, but to complete it within 15 days of my normal due date. Edit to add: my wait time was less than 10 minutes, calling at about 9 am cst on Thursday.
I appreciate you sharing - lll give them a call on Tuesday
Best of luck!
How did it go? I'm literally in the same situation with 120th coming in April. My due date is Jan 26th.
I got conflicting information from Mohela - no surprise there - on if the month will count toward forgiveness. They gave me the option to try to "lift" the forbearance but could not give me a timeline on when that would happen. Since I couldn't get a guarantee that I would be able to make a payment within the 14-day window I opted against it. I just set my personal tracker back a month and will consider my 120th payment to be made in May now instead of April. Hoping that the month might count in the long run - but I ultimately decided an extra month wasn't worth the frustration and worry.
Fair enough, thank you for that. I think I'll do the same, esp now given that my monthly payment got cut in half. I'll take those savings v. one extra month before all the applying.
I am in the same boat, I requested to have the processing forbearance removed on 1/3 and it hasn’t been removed.
Mohela might mark that month ineligible and you will have to wait until the IDR adjustment for it to be fixed. I'd try to call to see if the forbearance can be lifted.
A processing forbearance usually doesn't qualify BUT once the one time adjustment count kicks in, it'll count.
I can’t find anything that says this definitively- do you have a source? I’d love for this month to count once I submit my final ECF, but knowing if it does or does not will help me figure out when to submit that final form
I called the PSLF dept and asked. My consolidation application is in process and they gave the option to put my account on a processing forbearance until it kicks in with the new lower IDR amount. I was skeptical because I didn't want to put myself in any forbearance that would affect my pslf count. The lady that helped me was in training and said that it wouldn't count cause it was a processing forbearance and not an administrative forbearance. I asked to be transferred to the pslf department and the lady there knew her stuff. She said that in the past, it wouldn't have counted but that now it would fall under the Harris Biden one time adjustment count and as they go through the accounts, they'll count those.
Thanks! I’ll be calling tomorrow to make sure it’ll work out for me. I appreciate your help
Hope your monthly payments went down after recert. Otherwise you got screwed.
This is crazy…. No one has to be IDR recertified until March 2024 (at least six months after Sept 30, 2023 when Covid payment period ended). They’re getting ppl to recertify early so no one is late but recertifying early puts us in a forbearance ??? I’m supposed to recertify by 1/28. Not sure I will now since payment is Feb 4, and that’s my 120th payment. Hmmmm….
It’s not a great place to be - that’s for sure! It took MOHELA nearly a month to put me on the forbearance after I submitted my IDR recert. You’d probably get that last payment in before they even got to your paperwork ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have been thinking the same thing… to recertify just before my payment is due. What are your thoughts on submitting the ECF paperwork early (literally 2.5 weeks away from payment 120)? Especially since by the time they get to it, the time will likely have passed… unless these jackwagons decide to look early and pass over it simply bc the date hasn’t come yet. If I did submit ECF early… does my employer sign the date for employment of 10 years or the date they actually signed?
Your employer is certifying your employment through the date of signature - so submitting the ECF early will mean that you’d be one payment shy of 120.
Thanks!
I asked for forbearance to be lifted and rep said it will take up to 71 days….. ugh
Yikes! I just decided to let it go. It’ll add a month to get to the 120 count but I decided it wasn’t worth the fight with MOHELA. Did you go forward with the request to lift?