Chaos in the Transition: Monthly Loan Payments Marred by Wrong Amounts and Start-Up Struggles

As the wheels of the federal student-loan system grind back to life, a troubling revelation has emerged: monthly payments of countless borrowers have been marred by miscalculations, leaving many unexpectedly burdened with higher financial obligations than they anticipated. These miscalculations have primarily impacted borrowers transitioning into the new income-driven repayment plan, SAVE, which determines monthly payments based on income and family size. The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority mistakenly used 2022 poverty guidelines instead of those for 2023, leading to some 280,000 borrowers receiving higher payments than they were due. The Education Department quickly notified affected borrowers of the correct payment amounts. Bobby Matson, the CEO of Payitoff, a debt-management software company, said that "critics contend that the Education Department’s funding decisions have significantly affected the customer-service division of student-loan servicers, resulting in mistakes as well as extended wait times for borrowers seeking assistance."