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About eight million federal student loan recipients had at least one loan in forbearance as of June 2026, according to Federal Student Aid’s September 22, 2026 update. That is a snapshot of loan status—not a new government announcement pausing payments for eight million people. The loans in forbearance totaled about $459 billion.
What the eight-million figure measures
Federal Student Aid reported that about one-fifth of recipients had at least one federal loan in forbearance as of June 2026. The count is of recipients with one or more loans in that status; it does not say how many people were newly granted forbearance or establish when any borrower’s payments will resume. The June report is available in Federal Student Aid’s Data Center update.
Forbearance is a status for loans, not a synonym for default. A recipient may have more than one loan, and the report’s wording is specifically about having at least one loan in forbearance.
How the count changed since March
The June figure was about 400,000 recipients lower than the March 2026 snapshot. Federal Student Aid reported 8.4 million recipients with at least one loan in forbearance in March, representing approximately $485 billion in loans. In June, the corresponding figures were about eight million recipients and approximately $459 billion.
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| Snapshot date | Recipients with at least one loan in forbearance | Loan balance in forbearance |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 8.4 million | Approximately $485 billion |
| June 2026 | About 8 million | Approximately $459 billion |
These are separate quarterly snapshots, not a count of people whose status changed between two individually matched records. Federal Student Aid said some borrowers in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan began transitioning out of forbearance and into repayment. The March figures appeared in the agency’s June 23, 2026 Data Center update.
What SAVE borrowers should do
On March 27, 2026, the Department of Education said it had begun sending guidance directing SAVE borrowers to leave the plan and choose a legal federal repayment plan. The Department said a court-approved settlement ended SAVE and that affected borrowers would have time to select another plan. It said two options would be available starting July 1, 2026: the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and the Tiered Standard Plan. See the Department’s announcement.
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Repayment Assistance Plan
The Department described RAP payments as based on income and number of dependents. It also described protections against runaway interest for borrowers who make full, on-time payments. The announcement does not provide enough detail to determine an individual borrower’s eligibility, payment, or total repayment cost.
Tiered Standard Plan
The Department described fixed repayment terms of 10, 15, 20, or 25 years, with the term based on outstanding balance. Check your account and current plan information for the term and payment that apply to you.
Respond to your notice and check your account
MOHELA says borrowers enrolled in or applying for SAVE whose loans are in forbearance must select a new repayment plan after receiving a notice. Its FAQ said notices were expected between July and October 2026 and directs borrowers to use their StudentAid.gov account and repayment calculator to compare options. Because the notice window is underway, rely on the notice and your account rather than assuming a particular delivery date or payment restart date.
- Read any notice from MOHELA and note its instructions and deadlines.
- Sign in to your account at StudentAid.gov and use the repayment calculator to explore plans.
- Choose a plan through the official account tools and confirm the payment and effective date in your account or servicer notice.
MOHELA’s SAVE Plan FAQ says, “No need to call!” Its account-specific instructions still matter: the exact notice, next payment date, and amount due are not established by the nationwide forbearance count.
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Forbearance, default, and other June figures
Federal Student Aid listed forbearance and default as separate statuses in its June 2026 report. More than 9.3 million recipients—associated with $234 billion in outstanding federal student loans—were in default. That is not part of the approximately eight million recipient count for forbearance, and the report does not support treating borrowers in forbearance as delinquent or in default.
The same update reported about 17.4 million recipients with at least one loan in a current repayment or delinquency status. It also reported that about 13 million Direct Loan and Department-serviced Federal Family Education Loan borrowers in repayment, deferment, or forbearance were enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan. These are distinct measures and should not be added to or substituted for the forbearance figure.
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A separate resource for borrowers already in default
On September 30, 2026, the Department of Education and Treasury announced an online Defaulted Loans Support Center for borrowers with defaulted loans. The agencies describe it as a portal to review options, address default, and return to repayment. It is a separate development and does not change what the June forbearance count represents. See the agency announcement.
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