My Payment Counter Disappeared—What Now?
The Department of Education's official IDR payment tracking tool went offline in April 2025 and was still down in late August 2026. If you're pursuing 20/25-year IDR forgiveness, here's how to track your progress without the government's broken tools.
As of late August 2026, the IDR payment count tracker on StudentAid.gov was still unavailable. The Department of Education said in March 2026 that it is updating its systems to restore it, but hasn't given a date.
What Happened
The IDR payment tracker was taken offline in April 2025 amid the SAVE plan litigation and broader changes to income-driven repayment. Previously, borrowers could log in to StudentAid.gov and see their qualifying payment count toward 20/25-year forgiveness.
The tracker's disappearance has left millions of borrowers—especially those approaching the 20 or 25-year mark—in an information "black hole."
How to Get Your Payment Count
Contact Your Loan Servicer Directly
Call your servicer (MOHELA, Aidvantage, Nelnet, or Edfinancial) and request a written statement of your qualifying payment count for IDR forgiveness. Ask for:
- Total number of qualifying payments
- Months that didn't qualify and why
- Estimated forgiveness eligibility date
Request It in Writing
Phone representatives may give you a number, but get it in writing. Ask them to mail or email you official documentation of your count. This is your proof if there's ever a dispute.
Download Your Payment History
On StudentAid.gov, you can still download your complete payment history. Go to "My Aid" → "View Details" for each loan → "View Loan History." This shows every payment you've made, though it doesn't automatically calculate qualifying payments.
Build Your Own Tracker
Create a spreadsheet with every month since your loans entered repayment. Mark months where you were on a qualifying IDR plan and made an on-time payment (or had a $0 payment that counted). This gives you your own running count.
Which Months Count?
For IDR forgiveness, a qualifying payment is any month where:
- You were enrolled in IBR, PAYE, ICR, or SAVE (before it was blocked)
- You made your scheduled payment on time, OR
- Your calculated payment was $0 (still counts!)
Don't count: Months in deferment (except economic hardship), forbearance (except certain COVID months), or months before you entered repayment.
If You're Close to Forgiveness
If you believe you're approaching 20 or 25 years of payments:
- Contact your servicer now. Don't wait. Processing times can be long, and you want documentation of your eligibility date.
- Confirm your plan type. PAYE, and IBR for new borrowers (no loans before July 1, 2014), forgive after 20 years. IBR for older borrowers and ICR forgive after 25 years.
- Keep making payments. Even if you think you've hit 240 or 300 months, keep paying until you receive official confirmation of forgiveness. Stopping early can put you behind or in default if your count turns out to be wrong.
After legal challenges and the AFT lawsuit settlement, the Department of Education resumed processing 20/25-year IDR forgiveness. Borrowers are receiving forgiveness. The process is slow, but it's working.
For PSLF Tracking
PSLF tracking is separate from IDR forgiveness tracking. The PSLF Help Tool is still functioning and shows your qualifying PSLF payment count when you submit Employment Certification Forms. If you're pursuing PSLF, use that tool—not the defunct IDR tracker.