On March 18, 2025, the AFT sued the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for denying student loan borrowers’ access to affordable loan payments and blocking progress towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), in violation of federal law. The AFT is represented by the Student Borrower Protection Center and Berger Montague PC. The lawsuit, AFT v. U.S. Department of Education, was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. and seeks a court order to restore borrowers’ access to income-driven repayment (IDR) and PSLF.
Three weeks prior, federal education officials eliminated access to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans by removing the application from ED’s website and secretly ordering student loan servicers to halt processing all applications. These IDR plans provide millions of borrowers the right to tie their monthly payment to their income and family size, giving them the option to make loan payments they can afford.
In addition to providing millions of families affordable payment options, these IDR plans are the only way for public service workers to benefit from PSLF—a critical lifeline for teachers, nurses, first responders, and millions of other public service workers across the country.
Read our Press Release Announcing this Lawsuit: AFT Sues U.S. Department of Education, Demands Justice for Student Loan Borrowers Blocked from Affordable Loan Payments
Read Sworn Declarations from Borrowers Harmed by the IDR Shutdown in AFT v. U.S. Department of Education: Borrower Declarations_AFT Motion for TRO_03-24-2025
Read the AFT v. U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet: https://protectborrowers.org/aft-v-u-s-department-of-education-lawsuit-fact-sheet/
Read AFT’s Complaint in AFT v. U.S. Department of Education: AFT v. U.S. Department of Education Lawsuit Complaint