Millions of people mistakenly received student loan forgiveness emails

Messages sent from the Department of Education confuse borrowers as they await approval for student loan forgiveness
Millions of people mistakenly received student loan forgiveness emails
(Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / zimmytws)

If you applied to have a portion of your student loans forgiven, you might have received an email saying that your application has been approved. Many borrowers needed clarification on the email, since it also stated their approval is pending because of the relief program’s legal challenges and they would receive an update when the issues were resolved. 


The U.S. Secretary of Education detailed in the email to borrowers that they believe the legalities are in error. Sharing that “several lawsuits have been filed challenging the program, blocking our ability to discharge your debt. We believe the lawsuits are meritless, and the Department of Justice has appealed on our behalf. Your application is complete and approved, and we will discharge your approved debt if and when we prevail in court. We will update you when there are new developments.”


According to “CBS News,” corrected emails and information will be sent to recipients who received the initial email. A spokesperson from The Department of Education told CBS that corrective action would occur. “Communicating clearly and accurately with borrowers is the Department’s top priority. We are in close touch with Accenture Federal Services as they take corrective action to ensure all borrowers and those affected have accurate information about debt relief.”

 Currently, student loan payments are on pause and have been extended until the end of August 2023 or until the issues with the student loan forgiveness program are resolved. The repayment date has been extended eight times, but it has provided some relief to borrowers who haven’t paid monthly since March 2020, the beginning of the pandemic.


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