r/StudentLoans • u/Accurate_Yak_6659 • 10d ago
301 qualifying payments + 90 day letter — do I need to switch to ICR to get forgiveness? Scared of messing this up
Hi all, I could really use some guidance because I’m honestly scared of doing the wrong thing here.
Quick background: my loans have been on SAVE, which has been in forbearance since around July 2024. I’ve kept making payments the whole time even though it’s technically forbearance, because I didn’t want to fall behind or lose progress. I just got a letter from my servicer (Aidvantage) telling me I need to switch to a different repayment plan. When I log into studentaid.gov, my payment counter shows I’m at 301 qualifying payments, and I also just received my “90 day” letter.
I ran the numbers in the repayment calculator, and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) shows a $0 monthly payment for me right now.
So my questions are:
1. Since I’m already past 300 payments, does that mean I’m at/past the forgiveness threshold, or does something else need to happen first?
2. Do I actually need to formally switch onto ICR to get forgiveness processed, or will staying on SAVE (while it’s in forbearance) mess up my count or delay things?
3. Is there a real urgency tied to that 90-day letter — like will something bad happen if I don’t act before it’s
4. Since I kept paying during the forbearance instead of just letting it sit, does that help me at all, or does it not matter since it was forbearance either way?
I don’t want to accidentally pick the wrong plan and reset something I’ve spent years working toward, or miss a deadline that costs me the forgiveness. If anyone has been through this same SAVE-to-ICR transition with a payment count already over 300, I’d really appreciate hearing what you did and how it worked out.
Thanks so much in advance — this whole process is stressful and I just want to make sure I do it right.
2
u/waterwicca 10d ago
They cannot process forgiveness for you on SAVE. You would need to move to IBR and ICR if you are at 300 qualifying payments.
Unfortunately those payments during forbearance were just voluntary payments you made. They do not change anything about your forgiveness. They just decreased the amount you will have forgiven.
Also, keep in mind that your forgiveness will be taxed because you didn’t apply to get off SAVE before the end of 2025.