The U.S. Department of Education did not file a June student loan status report, consistent with a court settlement agreement that required only six monthly updates ending in May, and a hearing is scheduled for July 8 to address next steps. The reporting occurred under a court order and covered December through May, with no obligation for a June filing. Last updated: June 18, 2026.
The absence of a June report matters for borrowers tracking income-driven repayment processing, Public Service Loan Forgiveness activity, and the broader backlog. The six reports provided month-by-month visibility into applications received, pending, and decided, as well as discharges and denials, and their conclusion may reduce transparent insight unless further reporting is ordered.
Settlement timeline and reporting requirement
The settlement set a fixed schedule of six status reports, beginning after the end of a federal appropriations lapse and continuing every 30 days. Filings landed on December 15, January 14, February 13, March 16, April 15, and May 13, aligning with the order’s instruction that no additional update, including June, was required. The Department stated that this structure was intended to maintain transparency during implementation and
The order, dated October 23, 2026, specified the exact number of reports and the cadence for submission. It also required the parties to confer after the sixth report on whether more reporting was necessary and to advise the court accordingly. The July 8 hearing will evaluate those positions and clarify whether monthly disclosures continue, change form, or end, affecting how advocates and borrowers monitor ongoing case processing.
What the six reports contained and latest data point
Each status report delivered data for the prior calendar month, including IDR applications received, pending, and decided, plus approvals and denials where feasible. They also tabulated the number of borrowers discharged under IDR plans such as IBR, ICR, or PAYE, and tracked PSLF buyback applications and PSLF-related discharges. The first report explained how the Department identified borrowers eligible for IDR discharge and counted IBR applicants denied after July 4, 2026, for lack of partial financial hardship.
Across the series, the Department’s own figures showed a sizable pending workload. As of May 2026, roughly 530,295 IDR applications remained waiting, reflecting the scale of the backlog and the importance of continued visibility. The reports also described progress on time-based forgiveness in every-other-month increments, while borrowers weighed choices between SAVE, IBR, PAYE, and the new Repayment Assistance Plan taking effect in July 2026. Ending monthly reports could narrow one of the few reliable lenses into whether pending volumes are actually declining.
July 8 hearing and potential changes to disclosures
The scheduled July 8 hearing will bring the parties and the court together to determine the future of reporting under the settlement. The Department will present findings and any recommendations derived from the six reports, and the court will consider whether continued filings are warranted. The session is expected to address outstanding issues tied to the settlement’s implementation and the flow of information to borrowers.
For borrowers and watchdogs, the hearing’s outcome could shape how frequently the Department publicly shares metrics on processing times, discharges, and PSLF buybacks. If the court ends the reporting requirement, stakeholders may need to rely on intermittent updates rather than structured monthly disclosures. If the court extends or modifies the obligation, month-to-month insights could continue, guiding borrower decisions during the current repayment landscape.
