The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and federal officials, seeking to restore and ensure access to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans, critical tools for making higher education affordable and for qualifying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
On April 28, 2025, the ED and AFT agreed to pause further litigation in the case. In place of court proceedings, the Department of Education committed to increase transparency by releasing a series of monthly status reports. These reports will help the public and borrowers understand the processing status of IDR and PSLF Buyback applications.
Each report, published for the next three to six months, will include the following data from the preceding month:
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The number of IDR applications pending at the end of the month
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The number of IDR applications approved or denied during the month
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The number of PSLF Buyback requests pending at the end of the month
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The number of PSLF Buyback requests decided during the month
Processing Statistics
| Application Type | Metric | May 2025 | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDR Applications | Processed | 285,694 | 18% |
| Pending as of May 31, 2025 | 1,582,641 | ||
| PSLF Buyback Requests | Processed | 3,312 | 5.63% |
| Pending as of May 31, 2025 | 58,761 |
| Application Type | Metric | April 2025 | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDR Applications | Processed | 79,349 | 3.84% |
| Pending as of April 30, 2025 | 1,985,726 | ||
| PSLF Buyback Requests | Processed | 1,472 | 2.90% |
| Pending as of April 30, 2025 | 49,318 |
Borrowers awaiting IDR or PSLF Buyback decisions may experience processing delays due to the high volume of applications. However, the Department of Education is now required to publicly report progress, allowing borrowers and advocates to better track accountability and transparency.
Savi will continue to update users regarding these statistics.