Student Loans: The Ride Along That Never Ends

If you thought student loan drama ended with graduation, brace yourselves—2025 is dishing out another round of financial updates you don’t want to ignore.In this episode of Budgets for Badges, we break down:Wage garnishment is BACK. Federal collections resumed in late 2024, and defaulted borrowers risk having paychecks, tax refunds, and even Social Security seized —unless you take action now.Fresh Start, PSLF, and YOU. We’ll walk you through how to apply for forgiveness or enrollment—yes, even if you thought you missed the window.Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Submit your employment certification & application at StudentAid.gov —👉 Apply for PSLF 👉 PSLF Help Tool SAVE Plan (Income‑Driven Repayment): Only pay 5% of discretionary income with a path to forgiveness—apply or recertify here:👉 Apply for SAVE / IDR 👉 SAVE Plan Info Other forgiveness/discharge options: Teacher Loan Forgiveness, Disability or Closed School Discharge, Perkins cancellations, and Borrower Defense—find them here:👉 All Forgiveness & Discharge Programs 🧭 Takeaways for First Responders:In default? Fresh Start is still open—apply before garnishments take your paycheck.PSLF eligible? Certify your employment and submit the forms—one wrong move and you could lose years of progress.On SAVE/IDR plans? Make sure you stay recertified and locked in—don’t assume they’ll auto-update.Forgiveness options exist even if you missed Fresh Start or PSLF—don’t rule out discharge or teacher/graduated plans.Act now—don’t let legal deadlines or wage garnishments catch you off-guard.Follow us on IG:Budgets for Badges: https://www.instagram.com/budgetsforbadgesRebecca Jameson: https://www.instagram.com/bluelinemoneycoachChris Harksen-Lucero: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthenumbersbn