The federal government has soft-launched its application for student loan forgiveness. The Federal Student Aid website says borrowers can submit an application now during a beta launch to help refine the process.
The application is supposed to be really short and simple — just 5 minutes with no need to upload documents. And the administration says folks who submit during the beta period won’t have to do it again when the formal application launches.
But the application will be going on and offline during this period. If you try to submit and it’s not available, you can take another crack at it later. But don’t worry if you miss the chance to apply now. Student Aid says there’s no advantage to applying before the full launch.
The Education Department says it will fully launch the student debt relief applications later this month. Learn more about eligibility and how to prepare here.
Officials encourage borrowers who want their loans forgiven before repayments start back in January to apply by November 15, to allow time for processing. You can find more information on student debt relief and the beta application at StudentAid.gov.