What steps should borrowers take now to update loan status, consolidate, or certify employment for repayment benefits?

1. Check your official account dashboard first — know what you actually owe

Log in to the authoritative portal for your loan type: federal borrowers should review their Dashboard at StudentAid.gov to see loan status, payment counts, and notices from the Department of Education; private borrowers must check their servicer or lender account for up‑to‑date balances and statuses ^{[1] [2]}. Multiple sources warn that payment counts and forgiveness tracking tools have been disrupted at times, so keep screenshots and dated notices from servicers in case of later disputes ^{[2] [6]}.

2. If you want PSLF, certify employment now — annually and on job changes

To preserve or document credit toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), fill out the PSLF Employment Certification Form and submit it via the PSLF Help Tool or mail it as directed; the Department and consumer advocates recommend certifying at least annually and whenever you change employers to lock in qualifying months ^{[3] [7] [8]}. Employer certification typically requires an authorized official and employer details (EIN); federal and state employers already have internal guidance to assist employees with certification ^{[9] [10]}.

3. Consolidation can make non‑Direct federal loans PSLF‑eligible — but it can reset counts

If you hold FFEL or Perkins loans and want PSLF, you must consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan to become eligible; however, consolidation can “reset the clock” on qualifying payment counts for PSLF, so weigh that tradeoff and confirm with your servicer before proceeding ^{[8] [11]}. The Department’s tools and servicer communications are the place to start the consolidation process and to get precise consequences for your payment history ^[8].

4. Recertify income for IDR plans — don’t miss annual requirements

Borrowers on income‑driven repayment (IDR) plans must recertify income and family size annually; submit updates at StudentAid.gov/IDR or permit IRS data sharing to avoid a payment surprise and to preserve credit toward forgiveness where applicable ^[12]. Note that the IDR online recertification portal has been intermittently unavailable in 2025; contact your servicer if you cannot access the online form and keep records of any submissions ^{[12] [6]}.

5. When considering private debt consolidation or refinancing, run the numbers

If you’re thinking of consolidating balances with a personal debt‑consolidation loan or refinancing a mortgage, use lenders’ calculators and compare APRs, terms, and closing costs; a longer term or higher fees can increase lifetime interest even if monthly payments fall ^{[4] [13]}. Shop multiple offers — Bankrate, LendingTree, and lenders like PenFed, SoFi, Discover publish ranges and can show whether consolidating will likely save you money ^{[5] [14] [15]}.

6. Keep evidence and be ready to dispute — administrative glitches happen

Reporting and system outages have occurred (payment‑tracking tools taken offline, for example), so save dated communications, screen captures of StudentAid.gov pages, and any servicer letters. If the servicer or PSLF processor omits qualifying payments, borrowers can submit reconsideration requests with supporting documents (W‑2s, pay stubs, employer certifications) through their FSA ID account or as instructed ^{[2] [11]}.

7. Practical next steps checklist — what to do in the next 30 days

1) Log into StudentAid.gov (federal) or your servicer portal (private) and download account statements ^[1]. 2) If pursuing PSLF, complete and submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form for each employer/period and ask your employer to certify ^{[7] [10]}. 3) If on IDR, submit income recertification or IRS consent; contact servicer if StudentAid.gov forms are unavailable ^[12]. 4) Before consolidating or refinancing, run a calculator to verify total interest and any reset of forgiveness clocks ^{[4] [5]}. 5) Archive dated notices and screenshots in case you need to contest counts later ^{[2] [11]}.

Limitations and disagreements in reporting: coverage shows consensus on using StudentAid.gov and submitting PSLF forms, but sources note outages and administrative delays that complicate timing and protections — available sources do not offer a single, uninterrupted step‑by‑step process that guarantees no loss of credit during system downtime, so borrowers must document everything and use servicer contacts when portals fail ^{[2] [12]}.