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GAO-25-107111 1 (2024-10-10)

handle is hein.gao/gaoqyd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Why This Matters Key Takeaways What was the student loan payment pause? Federal student loans are an important resource to help millions of individuals pay for higher education. As of March 2024, the Department of Education held $1.5 trillion in outstanding William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans for nearly 45 million borrowers. In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Education implemented relief for borrowers, which paused several aspects of student loan repayment including payments being due and interest accrual. After several extensions of the payment pause, interest began accruing on loans again in September 2023, and borrowers' monthly loan payments resumed in October 2023, according to Education. To assist borrowers who may struggle to make payments, Education introduced a new loan repayment plan, as well as temporary relief options that ended in fall 2024. As of January 2024, about half of student loan borrowers in repayment (17.8 million) were current on their loan payments, according to Education data. Education is responsible for communicating with borrowers about student loan repayment, and it has contracts with loan servicers to help with some communications, including billing statements and information about repayment and forgiveness options. After the 3%-year payment pause, many existing borrowers were out of the habit of paying regularly, and the newest borrowers (among them students who graduated during the payment pause period) were making a student loan payment for the first time, according to Education officials. This report provides information on how Education communicated with borrowers about resuming student loan payments and temporary relief options. * Beginning in July 2023, Education communicated information to borrowers about resuming student loan payments and the availability of temporary relief options, using methods such as emails, letters, text messages, social media posts, and its website, StudentAid.gov. * Education began implementing a plan for communicating with borrowers about the end of temporary relief options, with communications beginning in June 2024 and lasting through fall 2024. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Education implemented a student loan payment pause under the CARES Act and related administrative actions to provide relief to borrowers.' Starting in March 2020, it suspended loan payments due, interest accrual, and involuntary collections on loans in default.2 After several extensions, this payment pause ended in August 2023 as required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.3 Page 1 GAO-25-1071 11 Student Loan Borrower Communication Page 1 GAO-25-1071 11 Student Loan Borrower Communication

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