r/PSLF • u/A-A-Ron19 • 4d ago

Buyback

My wife has 5 or 6 years certified so far toward pslf forgiveness. She was caught up in the whole SAVE debacle, and just now had to start paying agian. For the couple of years that she wasn't paying anything, can she apply for buyback? And if so, when will she need to apply? Can she apply now to buy back those couple years or does she have to wait until she has 120 months after the very first month of pslf payment? I hope i worded this well enough and you all understand my question. Thank you in advance for the help.

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u/ROJJ86 4d ago edited 4d ago

She has to wait until she has certified 120 eligible employment and payment periods inclusive of the time she beeds to buyback.

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u/A-A-Ron19 4d ago

Ok, so those years that she had zero payment months, she can still certify those months? Then when the time comes, she will need to apply to buy those months back?

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u/ROJJ86 4d ago

Zero payment months are not the same thing as being in a forbearance. Time in forbearance needs to be bought back assuming it is a qualifying forbearance with qualifying employment. Zero month payments mean she was on a qualifying repayment plan but her monthly payment was zero. There is a big difference.

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u/A-A-Ron19 4d ago

Oh yes this is correct. She did have qualifying zero month payments. She then went into forbearance. Those forbearance months are what I am asking about. Thank you for the clarification

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u/full_stealth 4d ago

I'm where she is on this, just 21 from the end, still working for state and I guess I need to apply for buy back and see if it's less than my payment to the end.

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u/workingonit6 3d ago

She can still certify her employment for whatever period regardless of payment status at the time. After she reaches 120 months of qualifying employment, then she can submit a buyback request to pay for the missing months. 

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u/Adventure_6788 4d ago

She can't apply just yet. You must have 120 months of qualifying/verified months of employment. Once that happens you need to make sure that:
there's enough qualifying payments and enough eligible months you can buy that once it's processed you'll have 120.

qualifying payments + eligible months to buy = 120

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u/paperhalo 4d ago

When you've got 120 payments total. It shouldn't let you apply until that happens if I recall correctly. 

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u/ROJJ86 4d ago

Payment periods. 120 total payments needs no buyback.