The student loan payment pause ended in September 2023, before the Trump administration took office in January 2025
The payment freeze on federal student loans began in March 2020 under President Trump's first term and continued through the Biden administration. The pause stopped loan payments, interest accrual, and collections on defaulted loans. In September 2023—while Joe Biden was still president—the pause ended and monthly payments resumed for borrowers with federal loans.
When Trump took office in January 2025, the payment pause was already over. Borrowers had been making regular payments for more than a year. The Trump administration has not reinstated a payment freeze, though it has taken other actions affecting student loan policy, including pausing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and the SAVE repayment plan.
Key Takeaways
- The payment pause that started in 2020 ended in September 2023, before Trump's second term began.
- Federal student loan payments have been required since October 2023, and borrowers who stopped paying during the pause may have fallen behind.
- The Trump administration has made changes to forgiveness programs and income-driven repayment plans, but has not frozen payments themselves.
- If you have federal loans and stopped paying after the pause ended, contacting your loan servicer about your account status is necessary to understand what you owe.
What the payment pause actually covered
During the pause from March 2020 through September 2023, borrowers with federal student loans did not have to make monthly payments. The government also stopped charging interest on those loans and did not pursue collections on loans that were already in default. This affected Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), and Perkins Loans held by the Department of Education.
Private student loans were never part of the pause. If you borrowed from a bank or private lender, you were required to keep making payments throughout the entire period. The pause also did not cover Parent PLUS loans that parents took out in their own names, though it did cover Parent PLUS loans consolidated into Direct Consolidation Loans.
When payments restarted and what changed
Payments resumed on October 1, 2023. Borrowers received notice from their loan servicers in the months before, but many did not prepare for the restart. If you had federal loans and did not resume payments in October 2023, your account may now show missed payments or be in default.
When payments restarted, interest also resumed accruing on all federal loans except subsidized loans held by undergraduate borrowers. The government also resumed collection efforts on defaulted loans, meaning wage garnishment and tax refund offset could begin again if your loan was in default before the pause.
Actions the Trump administration has taken on student loans
In 2025, the Trump administration paused the SAVE repayment plan, which had been the income-driven plan with the lowest monthly payments. The administration also paused Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) processing, which means borrowers working in government or nonprofit jobs are not currently having may have access to payments counted toward forgiveness. These actions do not freeze payments themselves—borrowers must still pay—but they affect which repayment plans are available and how forgiveness works.
The administration has also signaled intent to reverse some Biden-era forgiveness initiatives, though the status of these changes depends on ongoing legal challenges and regulatory processes. Borrowers should check their loan servicer's website for current information about which repayment plans are open to new enrollments.
What to do if you have federal student loans now
Log into your account at studentaid.gov or contact your loan servicer to see your current balance, payment status, and which repayment plan you are on. If you missed payments between October 2023 and now, your servicer can tell you the amount owed and whether your loan is in default.
If you cannot afford your current payment, you have options. You can request an income-driven repayment plan (though SAVE is currently paused for new enrollments), ask for a deferment or forbearance, or contact your servicer about a temporary payment reduction. These options require you to contact your servicer directly—they do not happen automatically.
Understanding the difference between a freeze and other policy changes
A payment freeze means borrowers do not have to pay. The Trump administration has not ordered a new freeze. What it has done is change which repayment plans are available, pause forgiveness programs, and reverse some debt cancellation initiatives from the previous administration. These are different actions with different effects on your account.
If you are on an income-driven repayment plan other than SAVE, your payments continue as before. If you were enrolled in SAVE, you cannot make new enrollments, but existing enrollees are still in the plan. If you were counting on PSLF forgiveness, the pause means your payments are not currently being counted, though the program may resume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay my federal student loans right now?
Yes. The payment pause ended in September 2023. Federal student loan payments have been required since October 2023. If you have not been paying, contact your loan servicer immediately to understand your account status and what you owe.
Will Trump freeze student loans again?
The Trump administration has not announced a new payment freeze. It has paused certain forgiveness programs and repayment plan enrollments, but these are different from freezing payments. You should assume payments are required unless you receive official notice otherwise from your loan servicer.
What happens if I missed payments after the pause ended?
Missed payments are recorded on your credit report and may result in default status. Contact your servicer to discuss repayment options, deferment, or forbearance. The longer you wait, the more interest accrues and the harder it becomes to bring the account current.
Can I still get my loans forgiven?
Public Service Loan Forgiveness processing is currently paused, so new may have access to payments are not being counted. Other forgiveness programs like income-driven repayment forgiveness may still be available depending on your plan, but the rules have changed. Check with your servicer about what forgiveness options apply to your specific loan type and plan.
Is SAVE still available?
SAVE is paused for new enrollments as of 2025. If you were already enrolled in SAVE before the pause, you remain in the plan. If you want to enroll in an income-driven plan now, you can choose PAYE, IBR, or ICR instead, depending on your loan type.