Federal Student Aid has temporarily paused updates to qualifying payment counts displayed on StudentAid.gov for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and related income driven repayment forgiveness counts, the agency told borrowers in responses and guidance that emerged this fall. The pause follows a series of account irregularities and data inconsistencies that have caused some borrowers reports to lose months from their displayed counts, and it has left many public employees uncertain whether they have reached the 120 payments required for PSLF forgiveness. Borrowers began reporting missing months and sudden reductions to their PSLF counters over the late summer and early fall. In many cases borrowers who believed they had achieved 120 qualifying payments saw their tracker stop advancing in July or August 2026, or display counts lower than expected. The problem has affected people across sectors that depend on PSLF, including teachers, health care workers, municipal employees, and nonprofit staff. For borrowers who expected fast resolution, the pause has forced a new choice between continuing payments while waiting for the tracker to recover, or requesting temporary forbearance to avoid overpaying while the system is fixed. What the agency has said Federal Student Aid, the Education Department unit that runs StudentAid.gov, has acknowledged data issues in communications to individuals and in customer service replies. Borrowers who contacted the agency received messages saying that PSLF and TEPSLF payment counts on the StudentAid.gov dashboard had been temporarily paused due to data issues causing count fluctuations. The agency told affected borrowers that updates and correspondence related to the counts would resume once the underlying problems were resolved, and that no firm timeline was available at the time of those replies. The agency also advised that borrowers who have reached 120 qualifying payments can submit a final PSLF form and request forbearance while their final application is processed, but they remain responsible for making payments until they are placed in forbearance by their servicer. The final forgiveness review, the agency said, may still require additional documentation and will take time once processed. How borrowers are being affected The immediate effect is uncertainty for those at or near 120 qualifying payments. Several borrowers who submitted an Employment Certification Form after their 120th payment reported that their dashboard did not reflect the qualifying payment and that they received no confirmation letter they historically would have gotten. Others reported that some months were marked ineligible or simply not showing at all, even though their servicer records indicate payments were made. For public servants nearing the 10 year threshold, the pause can mean months of delay before they can stop payments and receive discharge. Borrowers who already made what they thought were last payments may feel compelled to continue paying until an official determination is made, or to try to secure forbearance through their servicer to avoid further payments during administrative processing. Why this matters PSLF is one of the few large scale federal debt relief programs that cancels remaining student loan balances for workers who spend a decade in qualifying public service while making qualifying payments. Timely and reliable tracking of counts is central to the program working as intended, because borrowers and employers rely on transparent records to plan careers, retirement, and finances. A stalled or inaccurate tracker undermines that certainty and risks financial harm to people who have already planned their careers around the promise of forgiveness. The issue also has political and administrative implications. The administration and Education Department have been working through multiple technological and policy changes to the federal student loan system over recent years, including the transition of servicing and implementation of new repayment rules. Data integration between servicers and the federal backend has been a recurring source of borrower friction. When counts pause or move inconsistently, it raises questions about how well the technology and operations that undergird forgiveness programs are coordinated. What borrowers should do now Borrowers affected by missing or stalled payment counts should take these steps: - Check servicer records and NSLDS data. The National Student Loan Data System and servicers sometimes show payments that are not yet reflected on the StudentAid.gov tracker. Document dates and amounts for every payment that could be qualifying. - Submit or resubmit an Employment Certification Form, especially if you believe you have reached 120 payments. Filing the form creates a record the department can use in its review even if the public dashboard is not yet updating. - Consider requesting forbearance for the period where you believe you have completed the required payments, if you want to avoid further charges while your final application is pending. Contact your servicer to ask about options and the steps to place your account in forbearance during review. - Keep written records of communications. Save chat transcripts, confirmation emails, and mailed notices from your servicer and Federal Student Aid. These may help if there are later disputes about timeliness or eligibility. - Contact your elected representatives if your case is time sensitive. Several borrowers have reported success in prompting faster attention by contacting congressional offices and state attorney general consumer services, which can help escalate cases with the Education Department. What to expect next Federal Student Aid has told borrowers it is working with servicers and its own technical teams to resolve data inconsistencies. When the agency restores updates, it is expected to reconcile affected accounts and notify borrowers of any changes and the next steps for those who have crossed the 120 payment threshold. However, the department has not provided firm public timelines for a full fix or for how it will ensure affected borrowers are not penalized during the pause. The pause underscores the fragility of borrower-facing systems after years of complex operational changes. For the many public servants who rely on PSLF to make long term career and financial decisions, the priority is a clear, timely resolution from Federal Student Aid and a process that restores confidence that qualifying service and payments will be credited as intended. If you are affected and need help, gather documentation now and reach out to your servicer and your loan holder. Keep a record of every interaction and consider asking your employer for assistance with employment certification while FSA corrects the counts.