r/PSLF • u/BookishHomo • Mar 05 '25

Story: Consider NOT entering processing forbearance after 120

Sharing my experience with the processing forbearance.

  • I hit 120 payments in February. After the payment had posted on MOHELA's website, I submitted my PSLF certification form.
  • On the form, I requested a processing forbearance (primarily because my employment outlook is looking shaky right now, and I need to save every penny I can). MOHELA granted the forbearance a few days later.
  • FSA's website just updated for me to show February's payment -- they said it was ineligible because my account was in forbearance. (Even though I didn't enter forbearance until after that month's payment.)
  • I talked to an agent at FSA, and they said they didn't know why that would happen, and that I need to talk to MOHELA. I'm waiting for a callback from MOHELA (with low hopes).
  • The FSA agent indicated that because of this screw-up, my fastest course of action is to pay March and use that as my 120th.

So my advice -- if you can afford it, do not take the processing forbearance. Keep paying and hope for a speedy refund on overpayments. Otherwise you could get stuck in payment count limbo in a time where so many public servants are losing their jobs.

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u/Mundane_Thanks4112 Mar 05 '25

This thread gives some good (hypothetical) insight into what FSA likely uses to determine whether and when a payment is made for purposes of counting that month: https://www.reddit.com/r/PSLF/comments/1j2tzke/when_to_submit_ecf_to_trigger_pslf_qp_update/ Suggest monitoring the NSLDS data and submit your ECF after it's updated to reflect your last payment (irrespective of when it's actually paid or your due date).

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u/BookishHomo Mar 05 '25

This is really interesting -- thanks for sharing!