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When President Joe Biden announced a plan to forgive student loan debt, many borrowers who kept making payments during the pandemic wondered if they’d made the right choice. Borrowers who paid down their debt during a pandemic freeze that started in March 2020 can in fact get a refund , but the process for doing that hasn’t always been clear. If you think you’re eligible, here’s what you need to know:

“This move by the Education Department is a positive and necessary step for fulfilling President Biden’s historic promise to cancel student debt,” said Student Borrower Protection Center executive director Mike Pierce in a statement on Tuesday. “We’re glad to see that the Department understands the importance of automation and maximizing relief to borrowers.”

Millions of Californians got a long-awaited financial boost last month when the Biden administration announced that it would cancel up to $20,000 in federal student debt for low- and moderate-income borrowers. But California tax policy could throw a wet blanket over the party. That’s because the loan forgiveness may be taxable under current state rules, even though it’s tax-free under federal law.

“For the most part, it’s a great opportunity for borrowers,” said Persis Yu, policy director and managing counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center, in a call with MarketWatch.

“The sudden renewed interest in these refunds is, in part, people believing in the student loan system again,” said Michael Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. He said the nonprofit spoke with borrowers early on in the pandemic who tried to submit written requests fora refund and were ignored. “I would hate for capacity issues at the servicers to make a fool out of everybody that is telling people they…