Applications for forgiving student loans are now available online in a "beta" test.
Applications for student loan forgiveness are now being accepted by the U.S. Department of Education on a trial basis, but access to the forms is only "periodic."
A final version of the form will be made available, according to the department, by the end of this month.
You won't need to reapply once the final form is made available if you were able to access the application during the beta test.
Borrowers who fulfill the income requirements can receive up to $10,000 in federal loan forgiveness under the one-time debt relief program, which the White House
announced in August. The government will erase up to $20,000 in federal student loans for borrowers who satisfy the required income thresholds and were awarded a Pell Grant.
You must have had an adjusted gross income of less than $125,000 as a single taxpayer in 2020 or 2021, or less than $250,000 as a couple, to be eligible.
If you have already disclosed your income to the Department of Education, such as through an income-driven repayment plan, you will automatically be provided the assistance.
If not, you will need to fill out an application. The forms, which must be completed by the end of 2023, will be easy to complete, according to the government.
And that's exactly what the version revealed this week is, requiring so little data that you could complete it quickly on a smartphone.