Guest Post: Shannon Gallegos from The Institute for College Access & Success.
As with any repayment plan that allows you to pay less per month, it is possible to pay more in the long run under Pay As Your Earn or IBR due to accumulated interest. But for millions of Americans currently struggling to repay their loans, these plans ensure that payments will be manageable, help prevent delinquency and default, and provide a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel.
Countering the effects of recession
Pay As You Earn is designed to help recent students entering the job market for the first time in today’s tough economy. Only those who took out their first federal loan after September 30, 2007 and had at least one disbursement after September 30, 2011 will qualify.
The negative effects of starting your career in a down economy can last more than a decade. According to a recent study from theEconomic Policy Institute:
Research shows that entering the labor market in a severe downturn can lead to reduced earnings, greater earnings instability, and more spells of unemployment over the next 10 to 15 years. […] In short, the labor market consequences of graduating in a bad economy are not just large and negative, but also long-lasting.
Earlier this year we found that two-thirds of the Class of 2011 had loans, and their average debt was $26,600 for a four-year degree. Yet half of recent college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. Compared to students who enter the job market in better economic times, recent and soon-to-be graduates are likely to face lower earnings and higher unemployment for many years to come.
Helping lower income borrowers
Borrowers with modest incomes, who need help the most, will get significant relief from Pay As You Earn. As we noted in a recent post, a student who graduated in 2012 or later with $26,600 in federal loans and earns $25,000 a year (adjusted gross income) would pay one-third less each month in Pay As You Earn than in the current IBR plan. The same is true for a married borrower with the same debt who just completed a bachelor’s degree, has two children, and earns $45,000.
The Department of Education reports that more than 1.3 million borrowers are already enrolled in IBR, and nearly 90% of them have incomes under $50,000.
Applying made easy
A new electronic form at Studentloans.gov makes it easy to apply online for Pay As You Earn, IBR, and related repayment plans. Borrowers can even ask to be enrolled in whichever income-based plan they qualify for that has the lowest monthly payment.
Together, these plans can help millions of borrowers keep their student loan payments affordable even in tough times.
NOTE: TICAS and its Project on Student Debt developed the policy proposal that formed the basis of IBR, which recommended forgiveness after 20 years of payments. Dozens of organizations representing students, consumers, colleges, and lenders supported the goals of that proposal. Learn more about IBR and Pay As You Earn at IBRinfo.org.