Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment Universal Forms
Published Date: 1/14/2025
Notice
Summary
The Department of Education wants to update the forms borrowers use to ask for loan forgiveness if their school misled them. This affects students with federal loans who believe they were treated unfairly and could speed up how their claims are handled. You’ve got until March 17, 2025, to share your thoughts, and these changes aim to make the process smoother without extra costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Forms Revised to Match Current Rules
The Department of Education is revising the Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment universal forms so they conform to the borrower defense regulations still in effect: 34 CFR 685.206(e) (2020 Regulation), 34 CFR 685.222 (2016 Regulation), and 34 CFR 685.206(c) (1995 Regulation). The revision is part of contingency planning in case the 2023 Regulation is struck down.
No More Group Applications Required
Under the current regulations, the Department will no longer require a group application or a group reconsideration application for borrower defense claims. That change is included in the revised information collection request.
Estimated Paperwork Burden for Borrowers
The Department estimates 83,750 annual responses to the borrower-defense information collection and a total of 217,750 annual burden hours. These totals describe the expected paperwork burden for individuals and households responding to the forms.
Forms Available Online and on Paper
The updated Borrower Defense Application and Request for Reconsideration will be available in paper and electronic form on studentaid.gov. The Department says the forms will provide borrowers an easily accessible and clear way to give the information needed to review and process claims.
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