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What is unavailable—and what is not
FSA says it completed the move of the school-facing function from the Common Origination and Disbursement System to FSA Partner Connect on October 4, 2026. After identifying a problem with the release, it temporarily removed the affected functionality while it works on a fix. The October 7 notice is titled “Borrower Defense to Repayment Functionality Temporarily Unavailable for Schools.”
The notice does not say that borrowers have lost access to the application or cannot apply. The borrower application is published separately on StudentAid.gov. Because the application PDF displays a form date and an expiration date of July 31, 2026, check StudentAid.gov for a replacement or extension before using it.
| Access or process | What FSA says |
|---|---|
| School responses in FSA Partner Connect | Currently unavailable to schools following a release issue, according to FSA’s October 7, 2026 notice. |
| Borrower-facing application | Published separately as a StudentAid.gov PDF; the notice does not announce its removal. |
| School response deadlines | FSA will extend deadlines previously communicated for specific notifications; this is not an extension of a borrower application deadline. |
| Restoration date | Not stated by FSA in the October 7, 2026 notice. |
What schools should do while the feature is unavailable
FSA’s instruction to schools is: “No action is required until we provide further guidance.” Schools should not treat the announced extension of specified response deadlines as a general change to borrower filing deadlines. FSA says it will update its announcement when the feature is available again.
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For school technical questions, use the FSA Partner Connect Help Center customer-support form or contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978, open 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
What borrowers can do now
Borrowers considering a claim should check the current application and instructions on StudentAid.gov rather than infer that the school portal outage blocks filing. For questions about an individual borrower-defense application, FSA lists the Borrower Defense Hotline at 1-855-279-6207 and directs borrowers to StudentAid.gov/borrower-defense.
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Confirm the right application and provide specific facts
The application asks for detailed, truthful answers. Include relevant names or titles of school personnel, when interactions occurred, what was said, and supporting documents or other facts that help explain the allegation. Applicants certify that their information is true and complete to the best of their knowledge.
FSA’s application describes a review in which the Department of Education considers the borrower’s allegations and evidence, evidence already held by the Department, and the school’s response. The application warns that adjudication can take years depending on application volume. FSA’s default and collections FAQ also gives general timing context, but neither source guarantees a decision date. A March 30, 2026 FSA announcement said the Department had resumed adjudicating applications not impacted by the Sweet v. McMahon settlement; that statement is not a promise of timing or outcome for every application.
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Which borrower-defense rules may apply
The current application says the applicable eligibility standard depends on when loans were taken out or consolidated. A borrower with loans from more than one period may have multiple standards applied and may receive different determinations for different loans.
| Loan date or consolidation period identified in the application | Regulation named by the application |
|---|---|
| On or before June 30, 2017 | 34 C.F.R. § 685.206(c) |
| July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020 | 34 C.F.R. § 685.222(a) |
| On or after July 1, 2020 | 34 C.F.R. § 685.206(e) |
FSA’s March 30, 2026 announcement on school notification under the 1994 and 2016 regulations explains that those rules require school notification and fact-finding before substantive review. This is part of the review framework, not a claim that every borrower’s case follows the same path or schedule.
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Keep the two support channels separate
- School access or technical issue: FSA Partner Connect Help Center customer-support form or the FSA Partner and School Relations Center, 1-800-848-0978, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
- Borrower’s application or case: Borrower Defense Hotline, 1-855-279-6207, or StudentAid.gov/borrower-defense.
FSA cautions borrowers that they never have to pay for help with student loans. No paid service is identified as necessary to submit a borrower-defense application.
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