A quiet policy change at the U.S. Department of Education is set to increase costs for tens of thousands of federal student loan borrowers. The update affects borrowers seeking relief through Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Buyback , a relatively new pathway that allows certain past periods of non‑payment to count toward loan cancellation. Specifically, the Education Department has changed how required lump‑sum payments under that program are calculated, which could make forgiveness