What Happened to Your Student Loan Payment Count During the Pause

The payment count pause stopped counting your payments toward forgiveness

From March 2020 through December 2023, the federal government paused student loan payments and stopped the clock on forgiveness programs. During those nearly four years, payments you made did not count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) forgiveness, or any other forgiveness program that tracks months paid. The pause ended on January 1, 2024, and payments began counting again.

This matters because forgiveness programs require a specific number of payments—usually 120 for PSLF or 20 to 25 years for IDR plans—before your remaining balance is forgiven. If you made payments during the pause, those months were essentially skipped. The Department of Education did not automatically add those months back to your count; you may need to take action to get credit for them.

Key Takeaways

• Payments made between March 2020 and December 2023 did not count toward any forgiveness program, even if you chose to pay instead of using the pause.
• The Department of Education issued a one-time adjustment in 2023 that added pause months to PSLF accounts, but only for borrowers who had made at least one payment before the pause began.
• If you made payments during the pause and did not receive the adjustment, contact your loan servicer to request a manual review.
• Payments made after January 1, 2024 count normally toward forgiveness, so your payment count has been running again for over a year.

Who got the automatic payment count adjustment

In October 2023, the Department of Education added "pause months" to the accounts of Public Service Loan Forgiveness borrowers automatically. If you worked in public service and had made at least one may have access to payment before March 2020, you received credit for every month between March 2020 and December 2023—whether you paid during that time or not. This was a one-time fix that applied only to PSLF, not to other forgiveness programs.

The adjustment was not automatic for borrowers on Income-Driven Repayment plans. Those borrowers received pause months added to their count only if they had made payments during the pause period itself. If you did not pay during the pause and are on an IDR plan, those months were not added to your total.

What to do if your payment count looks wrong

Log into your account at studentaid.gov and check your loan servicer's records. Your servicer is the company that collects your payments—it may be Mohela, Nelnet, Aidvantage, or another company depending on your loan type. The servicer's website will show your current payment count and the date your forgiveness is scheduled.

If the count does not match what you expected, contact your servicer directly. Explain that you made payments during the pause period (March 2020 to December 2023) and ask them to review your account for a manual adjustment. Bring documentation of those payments—bank statements, payment confirmations, or your own records. Some servicers process these requests quickly; others may take several weeks.

If your servicer does not respond or denies your request, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov. The CFPB investigates complaints about loan servicers and can push for corrections.

How the pause affected different forgiveness programs

Public Service Loan Forgiveness borrowers came out ahead. The automatic adjustment in 2023 meant that most PSLF borrowers received credit for all 46 months of the pause, even if they did not pay. This moved thousands of borrowers closer to their 120-payment threshold.

Income-Driven Repayment borrowers had a mixed outcome. If you made payments during the pause, those payments count. If you did not pay and are on an IDR plan, you did not receive the pause months automatically. You would need to request a manual review from your servicer to get credit for those months.

Borrowers pursuing other forgiveness routes—such as Teacher Loan Forgiveness or Perkins Loan cancellation—should check with their servicer about how the pause affected their specific program. Rules vary by program type.

Payments count normally now, but your total may still be lower than expected

Since January 1, 2024, every payment you make counts toward forgiveness. If you are on an IDR plan, each month counts as one payment toward your 20- or 25-year forgiveness threshold. If you are pursuing PSLF, each may have access to payment counts toward your 120-payment goal.

Your payment count may still be lower than you expected because the pause created a gap. If you were on track to reach forgiveness in 2022 but the pause stopped your clock, you are now two years behind where you would have been. The pause did not erase your progress, but it did delay it. Check your servicer's records to see your current count and your projected forgiveness date.

What happens if you defaulted during the pause

The pause also stopped collections and did not count missed payments as defaults. If you did not pay during the pause and your account went into arrears, you were not marked as in default. However, once the pause ended, missed payments began counting against you again.

If you fell behind after January 1, 2024, contact your servicer immediately to discuss income-driven repayment options. An income-driven plan can lower your monthly payment to as little as $0 per month if your income is low enough, and payments made under these plans still count toward forgiveness. Staying current on payments—even if the payment is $0—keeps you on track for forgiveness and protects you from default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to do anything to get credit for payments I made during the pause?

If you are on PSLF, the adjustment was automatic in 2023. If you are on an IDR plan and made payments during the pause, those payments should already be counted. If your count looks wrong, contact your servicer and ask for a manual review. Bring proof of your payments.

Can I get credit for months I did not pay during the pause?

PSLF borrowers received automatic credit for all pause months. IDR borrowers did not. If you are on an IDR plan and did not pay during the pause, you can request a manual review, but the servicer may deny it. Ask anyway—some servicers will grant adjustments on a case-by-case basis.

What if my servicer says my payment count is correct but it seems too low?

Ask your servicer for an itemized list of all payments credited to your account, including the dates. Compare it to your own records. If there is a discrepancy, file a complaint with the CFPB. Bring documentation of any payments your servicer did not record.

Does the pause affect my forgiveness date?

Yes. The pause delayed your forgiveness by the number of months you did not pay. If you were supposed to reach forgiveness in 2022, you are now reaching it later. Your servicer's website should show your updated projected forgiveness date.

What if I made extra payments during the pause to stay ahead?

Those payments count toward your forgiveness total. You made progress, even though the pause did not require you to pay. Your payment count should reflect every payment you made.