Student Loan Borrowers Face Lengthy Delays for Public Service Debt Forgiveness

Over 83,000 federal student loan borrowers wait more than a year for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Buyback application decisions

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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More than 83,000 federal student loan borrowers, including librarian Katy Punch, are waiting in a backlog of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Buyback applications, with some waiting over 14 months for a decision. The PSLF Buyback program allows borrowers to retroactively pay for months they missed due to forbearance or deferment, accelerating their timeline to debt cancellation. Advocates report seeing some approvals, while others have not, and some borrowers have become discouraged by the long wait times.

Why it matters

The PSLF program, signed into law in 2007, offers student loan forgiveness to those who've spent a decade working for certain not-for-profits or the government. The PSLF Buyback option was introduced by the Biden administration in 2023 to help borrowers who had their progress toward PSLF frozen during the SAVE payment pause. The growing backlog of PSLF Buyback applications is delaying debt relief for public servants.

The details

Under the Trump administration, the backlog of pending PSLF Buyback requests has been steadily rising, from 74,510 in August 2025 to 80,210 in November 2025 and over 83,000 as of February 2026. Some borrowers report seeing their requests approved, while others have not. The Biden administration rolled out PSLF Buyback in 2023, but the opportunity became especially popular after courts blocked the SAVE plan in 2024, which had automatically enrolled millions of borrowers in a forbearance that froze their PSLF progress.

  • Katy Punch became eligible for PSLF in November 2024 and submitted her application at that time.
  • As of February 2026, Punch's application is still pending, over 14 months later.

The players

Katy Punch

A 38-year-old librarian who became eligible for PSLF in November 2024 and submitted an application at that time, but is still waiting over 14 months later for a decision.

Carolina Rodriguez

Director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program in New York, who reports that no one on her team has seen a successful PSLF Buyback request completed.

Betsy Mayotte

President of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit that helps borrowers navigate repayment, who says it's still worth applying for PSLF Buyback if you qualify, but you shouldn't depend on it for your debt forgiveness.

Mark Kantrowitz

Higher education expert who says more than 7 million student loan borrowers remain in the SAVE payment pause, with a backlog of over 734,000 applications for a new repayment plan.

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What they’re saying

“I am trying to save more just in case I don't receive the forgiveness I have earned and should have received in November 2024.”

— Katy Punch, Librarian (CNBC)

“At this time, no one on our team has seen a successful buyback request completed.”

— Carolina Rodriguez, Director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program in New York (CNBC)

“I have seen borrowers get it lately.”

— Betsy Mayotte, President of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (CNBC)

What’s next

The judge in Katy Punch's case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow her out on bail.

The takeaway

This growing backlog of PSLF Buyback applications highlights the ongoing challenges for public servants seeking student loan forgiveness, raising concerns about the administration's ability to process these requests in a timely manner and provide the debt relief that borrowers have earned.