1.5 million borrowers left the SAVE plan. 6 million remain — and a first deadline is looming.

# What happened

July that they must choose a new repayment plan after the Trump administration eliminated the SAVE plan. SAVE had offered lower monthly payments and faster pathways to debt relief under the Biden administration. About 7.5 million borrowers were enrolled when the phaseout began.

By mid-September 2026, the department confirmed that 1.5 million borrowers had selected a different repayment option. That leaves roughly 6 million borrowers who had not yet made a choice.

# Deadlines and timelines

Notices began going out July 1. Each borrower who receives one gets a 90-day window to select a new plan. The first group's 90-day period ends on September 29, 2026. The department and servicers expect to issue notices to all remaining SAVE borrowers by the end of 2026.

Department has not provided a clear public timetable for exactly when servicers will move borrowers who do not choose a plan into a standard repayment plan, or the exact mechanics of that transition.

# What's at stake for borrowers

Switching off SAVE can change monthly bills and how payments count toward loan-discharge programs. Some borrowers have proactively moved to other income-driven repayment plans or to plans that preserve Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) credit. Others are waiting to receive their 90-day notice before deciding.

For borrowers who do not select a new plan within their window, servicers may place accounts into the standard plan, which typically carries higher monthly payments and different timelines for forgiveness. The department recommends borrowers pick a "lawful" repayment option as soon as possible.

# Reported errors and account problems

Borrowers who have already selected new plans reported a range of glitches. Problems described in reporting include:

• Incorrect billing amounts, where statements showed higher or inconsistent charges.
• Notices incorrectly saying an account was delinquent or nearing default, when it was not.

Department acknowledged awareness of such errors and said it was resolving them. Still, these mistakes have left some borrowers unsure how much they owe and made budgeting difficult.

# Legal challenge

A law firm called Public Goods Practice filed a motion in June seeking to block the forced transfer of SAVE borrowers to other plans. A judge had not yet ruled on that motion as of the report. The department disputed the legal claims and urged borrowers to select an alternative repayment plan in the meantime.

# Practical implications in plain terms

• If you do not choose a plan in your 90-day window, you could be moved to a standard repayment plan with higher payments.
• Some borrowers who left SAVE early did so to begin earning credit toward income-driven forgiveness or PSLF.
• Watch for billing errors or incorrect delinquency notices and follow up with your servicer if you see discrepancies.

# Bottom line

Millions of borrowers remain on the now-defunct SAVE plan. The transition process has started, produces real financial differences for individuals, and has been accompanied by administrative errors and a pending lawsuit. The Education Department is urging borrowers to pick an alternative repayment option promptly while it works through reported system problems.