Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC) Condemns the Detrimental Decision to End the SAVE Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 9, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment plan will be coming to an end. More than 7 million borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE will be required to move into a different repayment plan in the near future. 

While the settlement agreement that affects the SAVE plan is still pending court approval, SDCC is urging borrowers to review their repayment options ahead of any transition process.

“Today’s decision from the Department of Education is devastating for the nearly 8 million student loan borrowers who depended on the SAVE plan to keep their payments affordable. Borrowers have endured years of uncertainty, and this only exacerbates the confusion and financial strain they are already facing,” said Natalia Abrams, President and Founder of SDCC. “Borrowers need real relief and stability, not a return to unaffordable, costly student loan payments that push them closer to financial crisis.”

Reductions in force (RIFs) at the Department of Education have already led to severe backlogs and delays in processing IDR applications. It is negligent for the Department to end the SAVE plan without a clear timeline, assuming it can handle the transition of more than 7 million borrowers into more expensive repayment programs. This failure makes the Department of Education complicit in deepening the affordability crisis in America.

In response to the announcement, the Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC) will host a workshop tonight, December 9, at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT, to help borrowers understand what this change means, how to transition into other repayment plans, and what steps they can take immediately to protect themselves.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact info@studentdebtcrisis.org

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ABOUT Student Debt Crisis Center

Student Debt Crisis Center is a national advocacy organization with 2,000,000 supporters calling for fundamental reforms to student loan policies and an end to the student debt crisis. Learn more here.