The Eighth Circuit’s August 9, 2024, order temporarily restricted parts of the federal SAVE student-loan repayment plan; it did not itself end SAVE or cancel every federal forgiveness program. The Department of Education later said SAVE ended in March 2026 under a court-approved settlement with Missouri. Borrowers affected by the change should use their StudentAid.gov account and servicer notice to choose among the repayment plans available for their own loans.
What did the appeals court actually block?
On August 9, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted seven states’ request for an injunction pending appeal in part and denied it in part. That was interim relief while the legal challenge continued—not a final appellate ruling resolving every issue about SAVE.
In a later opinion, the Eighth Circuit described the practical effect of the earlier injunction this way:
| SAVE feature | Effect of the injunction |
|---|---|
| Forgiveness | Further forgiveness of principal or interest was barred. |
| Interest | The government was barred from not charging borrowers accrued interest. |
| Payment thresholds | Further implementation of SAVE’s payment-threshold provisions was stopped. |
The states’ August 2024 filing sought to prevent the Secretary of Education from forgiving approximately $475 billion in federal student-loan debt, as described in the Eighth Circuit’s order. That was the scope of relief the states requested, not a finding that the court canceled that amount of debt.
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What does “8 million borrowers” refer to?
The figure was a contemporaneous estimate of the ruling’s impact reported by CBS LA in July 2024. It is approximate and should not be read as a current count of people enrolled in SAVE.
In March 2026, the Department of Education described 7.5 million borrowers as the population enrolled in SAVE for purposes of its exit guidance. The two numbers come from different dates and describe differently framed populations.
Did the 2024 order end SAVE?
No. The August 2024 injunction restricted specified parts of the plan while litigation proceeded. Later, the Department of Education announced that SAVE ended in March 2026 after a court approved a settlement between the Department and Missouri. That later settlement—not the 2024 injunction by itself—is the reason SAVE is no longer an available repayment plan.
What should borrowers who were on SAVE do now?
Check your StudentAid.gov account and read any notice from your loan servicer. The Department and servicers have directed affected borrowers to review other repayment plans and select one that fits their loans and circumstances.
MOHELA’s guidance says borrowers must choose a new plan after receiving notice and describes a 90-day period in its FAQ. Treat the deadline in your own notice as controlling; do not assume that every borrower received the same notice date or has the same deadline.
- Review your notice. Confirm what action is required, the stated deadline, and which loans are affected.
- Compare plans for your loans. Use the official repayment calculator and servicer information to check eligibility and estimated payments.
- Compare more than the monthly bill. Consider the repayment term and total cost, eligibility rules tied to loan type or disbursement date, and whether qualifying for forgiveness is important to your situation.
- Select a plan and keep records. Follow the instructions in your account or servicer notice, then save confirmation of your selection and any follow-up messages.
A lower estimated monthly payment does not necessarily mean a lower total repayment cost. Eligibility and payment amounts depend on the borrower and the loans; no single plan is best for everyone.
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Which repayment options are available?
Department and servicer guidance lists the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and Tiered Standard Plan as available beginning July 1, 2026. Check current official guidance for eligibility and terms before selecting either one.
The Department described the Tiered Standard Plan as having fixed terms based on outstanding loan balance:
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|---|---|
| Tiered Standard | 10, 15, 20, or 25 years, depending on outstanding balance. |
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | Term details are not stated in the cited Department and servicer guidance summarized here; check the current official plan information. |
Do not infer that every borrower qualifies for every plan. Use the Department’s repayment calculator or ask your servicer to compare the options available for your specific loans.
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