7.7 Million SAVE Plan Borrowers Have 90 Days to Pick a New Repayment Plan
The Department of Education began issuing exit notices to all 7.7 million SAVE plan enrollees on July 1, 2026, giving borrowers until as early as September 29 to select a replacement repayment plan or face automatic enrollment in a Standard Repayment Plan with significantly higher monthly payments. TICAS analysis projects that roughly 45% of affected borrowers will face severe financial hardship under any available alternative, and early reports indicate servicer portal failures are preventing some borrowers from even accessing their notices. Interest accrual on SAVE balances already restarted in August 2025, meaning loan balances are growing throughout the transition period.