The CARES Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was passed by Congress in the spring of 2020. The CARES Act initially provided relief from federal student loan payments through September 2020, however, the relief provided under the Act has now been extended through December 31, 2020. The extension of relief under the Act may have already been implemented by your loan servicer.

As before, unless a borrower opts out, for all federal Direct Loans owned by the US Department of Education:

  • Loan payments are suspended through December 31, 2020
  • Interest is waived through December 31, 2020
  • These additional months of coverage under the Act will count as qualifying months toward all forgiveness benefits including Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for borrowers who maintain qualifying employment

If you have any questions about the CARES Act, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), or what you should be discussing with your federal loan servicer during this time, please feel free to reach out to us at law.lrap@nyu.edu and we’d be happy to work with you!