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Common Ground News

Are the student loan forgiveness calls real?

Author

Chloe Ramirez

Updated on March 02, 2026

Are the student loan forgiveness calls real?

Borrowers have reported receiving phone calls, emails, letters, and/or texts offering them relief from their federal student loans or warning them that student loan forgiveness programs would end soon. “Act immediately to qualify for student loan forgiveness before the program is discontinued.”

Accordingly, do student loan forgiveness programs call you?

Legitimate student loan forgiveness companies and government agencies do not use aggressive sales tactics, spammy emails, constant calls from unrecognizable phone numbers, junk mail, sales calls, threats, or demands. Nor will they seek your personal information.

Likewise, are student loans actually being forgiven? After 20 years, the remainder of the loans for people who have responsibly made payments through the program will be 100% forgiven. Individuals with new and existing loans will all be automatically enrolled in the income-based repayment program, with the opportunity to opt out if they wish.

Simply so, are student loan forgiveness calls legit?

A scammer might assure you immediate student loan relief through loan forgiveness programs — as long as you pay them a fee to qualify. While there are federal student loan forgiveness programs available, none of them provide immediate relief.

Is student loan forgiveness in the next stimulus bill?

The Cares Act—the $2.2 trillion stimulus packages—provided this student loan relief through September 30, 2020 to help student loan borrowers impacted financially by the Covid-19 pandemic. President Donald Trump initially extended this student loan relief through December 31, 2020 through executive action.

What qualifies you for student loan forgiveness?

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), some federal loan borrowers can have their loans forgiven after 120 monthly loan payments. To qualify, you must work for an eligible non-profit organization or government agency full-time while making 120 monthly qualifying payments.

Is Navient really forgiving loans?

Navient borrowers with federal student loans may be eligible for one of the federal student loan forgiveness programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness or forgiveness through an income-driven repayment plan. However, forgiveness through these programs takes diligence and it isn't immediate.

How do I stop student loan calls from forgiveness?

Add your number to a “Do Not Call” List. You can register your phone number for free with the National Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — the same agency that recently reimbursed 40,000 borrowers defrauded by relief scams — set up the registry in 2003.

Do student loans get forgiven after 10 years?

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program discharges any remaining debt after 10 years of full-time employment in public service. The borrower must have made 120 payments as part of the Direct Loan program in order to obtain this benefit.

Is there student loan forgiveness for senior citizens?

There are no student loan forgiveness programs specifically for senior citizens. Elderly student loan borrowers are eligible for the same loan forgiveness programs as other borrowers. The 3 main loan forgiveness programs seniors should explore are: Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Is there a federal student loan forgiveness program?

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

PSLF forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Learn more about the PSLF Program to see whether you might qualify.

Is student loan forgiveness taxable?

Under current law, the amount forgiven generally represents taxable income for income tax purposes in the year it is written off. Generally, student loan forgiveness is excluded from income if the forgiveness is contingent upon the student working for a specific number of years in certain professions.

What happens if you answer a spam call?

The robocall's logic is simple. If you answer their call, your number is considered “good,” even if you don't fall for the scam. They will try again next time because they know there's someone on the other side who is a potential victim for fraud. The less you answer, the fewer the calls.

Do student loans go away after 7 years?

Your responsibility to pay student loans doesn't go away after 7 years. But if it's been more than 7.5 years since you made a payment on your student loan debt, the debt and the missed payments can be removed from your credit report. And if that happens, your credit score may go up, which is a good thing.

What happens if you never pay your student loans?

If you miss a payment on your federal student loans you have 270 days to make a payment before your debt goes into default. Once federal student debt is in default, the government is able to garnish your wage, your Social Security check, your federal tax refund and even your disability benefits.

Can I go to jail for not paying a student loan?

Technically, you cannot go to jail for not paying your student loans, the Education Department assures borrowers. If you oblige by standard procedures after failing to make student loan payments, getting arrested is not a possibility.

How can I get out of student loans without paying?

Actually, there are eight ways, and they're all perfectly legal.
  1. Enroll in income-driven repayment.
  2. Pursue a career in public service.
  3. Apply for disability discharge.
  4. Investigate loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs).
  5. Ask your employer.
  6. Serve your country.
  7. Play a game.
  8. File for bankruptcy.

Are student loans forgiven after 20 years?

Student loan forgiveness is possible after 20 years if you're only repaying undergraduate loans, or after 25 years for any of the loans you're repaying from graduate school or professional study. Student loan forgiveness is possible after 25 years of repayment.

Will student loans take my tax refund 2021?

Debt collection is suspended for borrowers who have defaulted on student loan debt. This means collectors will not take actions to collect payment, such as deducting from a tax refund or garnishing wages. For those on a loan forgiveness program, suspended payments for these months will still count.

Why we should not forgive student loans?

It Won't Stimulate The Economy

Forgiving loans will relieve borrowers of the obligation to make monthly payments, allowing them to spend that money on other things, or so the logic goes. However, required loan payments are currently paused, so forgiving debt would provide no immediate stimulus.

Is Trump going to extend student loans?

Student Loans

In an unexpected move, Trump has paused federal student loan payments for one more month until January 31, 2021. This means that the existing student loan relief will not expire on December 31, 2020 as previously expected.

Does student loans affect stimulus check?

Since your federal student loan monthly payments will be set at $0 from March 13th to September 30th, you don't need to put a penny from your federal stimulus check towards your loans. These $0 “payments” will count as full payments towards your loan forgiveness program no matter how far along in the program you are.

Will the next stimulus include college students?

Dependent College Students Won't Get a Second Stimulus Check

College students who were 23 or younger at the end of 2019 and who didn't pay at least half of their own expenses that year could be claimed as a dependent on their parents' 2019 tax return. So, those students are out of luck when it comes to stimulus checks.

Will the Heroes Act forgive student loans?

One of the most notable features of the HEROES Act is its plan to forgive up to $10,000 of student loan debt for "economically distressed borrowers." Be in default on your private and/or federal student loans (270 days past due); or. Be delinquent on private and/or federal student loans, or 90 days past due; or.