As of February 27th, 2025, The Department of Education has temporarily removed the option to enroll in an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan, or recertify their current plan, from the StudentAid.gov website. Because of this, borrowers applying for an IDR should expect significantly longer processing times.
Your application will be sent to your loan servicer so you can be enrolled in your selected repayment plan, and you’ll receive a copy of the application in your email.
Once your application is received by your servicer you will be placed into a processing forbearance for 60 days and will not have to repay on your loan while your application is being processed. This forbearance will count for PSLF. If your servicer is unable to process your application within the 60 days, they will then move you to an administrative forbearance which will not count for PSLF.
You should hear from your servicer within 4-8 weeks from the date of submission. While processing times may vary, it will take a few weeks for your application to show up with your loan servicer.