EPISODE RESOURCES New Money New Problems Podcast July 1 Deadline Changes, SAVE Ending, New Borrowing Caps, and Myth-Busting In this episode we explore major federal student loan changes tied to the key July 1 deadline and dispels common myths about what's to come. Key updates include new borrowing caps for Parent PLUS loans and the important distinction between a "standard" graduate student and a "professional" student. A new income-driven option, the Repayment Assistance Plan, arrives Jul...

EPISODE RESOURCES Student Aid Website How to Download and Read Your NSLDS File on StudentAid.gov (and Spot Forgiveness/Credit Errors) As student loan guidelines change and they apply past credit to borrowers' accounts, it's important you know how to review your loan history. In this episode, we discuss how to download and review your NSLDS data file, and easter eggs in the document that could lead to faster loan forgiveness than you think. We walk listeners through creating/logging ...

EPISODE RESOURCES The Debt Trap The History of Student Loans, Pt. 2 How Student Loans Started: From GI Bill Direct Loans to Federally Backed Bank Loans (1944–1965) During a light week for federal student loans, we replay our very first Escape Student Loan Debt episode on how the student loan system began. Join us as Brenton covers key student debt milestones: the 1944 GI Bill’s uneven access for Black, brown, and some female veterans; the 1958 National Defense Student Loan Program that pr...

EPISODE RESOURCES RISE Student Loan Regulations Fact Sheet ...I Just Lost $33,709 Episode Repayment Assistance Plan Explained Finalized DOE Student Loan Rules: New Caps, Repayment Assistance Plan, and Default Rehab Changes (Effective 2026–2027) In this episode we share newly finalized Department of Education regulations tied to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and explain how they may affect student loan borrowers starting in 2026–2027. We outline new federal loan caps beginning July 1, ...

EPISODE RESOURCES Download the updated IDR Guide! Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) Explained: Eligibility, Payment Calculation, Subsidies, and Who Should Use It The episode breaks down the forthcoming Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)! We dig into all the details ranging from who's eligible for RAP, to how Discretionary Income and protected income are thrown out the window when it comes to calculating payments. We cover scenarios where RAP saves money as compared to other options, and how to ...

EPISODE RESOURCES SAVE Plan Cancellation Press Release SAVE Plan Timeline Press Release Parent Plus Loan D-Day, Disallowed Student Loan Guidelines and Details on the Immediate Future of the SAVE Plan In this episode, we go through EXTREMELY important details on the future of Parent Plus Loans, and why many borrowers need to take action by April 1st in order to preserve eligibility for student loan forgiveness. These borrowers must have a newly consolidated loan disbursed by July 1st to main...

SAVE Plan Dissolved, April 1 Deadlines, and Growing IDR/PSLF Backlogs This episode shares several student loan updates, led by a higher court directing a lower court to honor a settlement dissolving the SAVE plan, with no timeline yet for moving SAVE borrowers into other repayment options and speculation ranging from IBR to the standard plan. We also cover the importance of Parent PLUS borrowers potentially losing access to IDR and PSLF for new loans after July 1 , and why April 1 is t...

EPISODE RESOURCES Schools Eligible for Discharge SAVE Plan Court Update, Forbearance Strategy, and a Borrower Defense Deadline Ruling This episode provides an update on the still-unlikely revival of the SAVE repayment plan and what borrowers in SAVE administrative forbearance should consider. SAVE, created by the Biden administration and popular for its low payments and generous forgiveness, remains effectively halted: borrowers can’t newly enroll, interest accrues, optional payments don’t...

EPISODE RESOURCES RISE Committee Document Federal Student Loan Updates: RISE Committee Proposals, New Borrowing Limits, Parent PLUS Deadlines, and Forgiveness Processing In this episode, we highlight the major proposed changes—including creation of the Repayment Assistance Plan, removal of ICR and PAYE, changes to SAVE, limits on graduate and undergraduate borrowing, and restrictions on Parent PLUS—that are in a public comment period tied to rules stemming from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Ac...

Optimizing Your Student Loan Payments and Understanding Key Tax Strategies This episode of the Escape Student Loan Debt Podcast is a dual-cast with The New Money New Problems Podcast to discuss crucial tax strategies for student loan borrowers. We touch on how Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) impacts Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans and explain the significance of above the line tax deductions. Brenton delves into the complexities that married individuals with disparate incomes might fac...