43 million Americans who have federal student loan debt are facing new shocking obstacles.

In response to a February court ruling that blocked some Biden-era programs, the Education Department has taken down online and paper applications for income-driven repayment plans.

It also restricted access for some to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). This program forgives the loans of government and some nonprofit workers after completing 10 years of service and making 10 years of minimum payments.

As a result, for millions of Americans, carefully budgeted monthly payments might skyrocket very soon.

“With these giant student loans, my payments were initially close to $2,000 a month. When I got on the Save plan, it brought it down to between $600 and $700 a month, which I can budget a lot better,” Ebrahim Ghazali, the chief of pediatrics at a clinic in Springfield, Massachusetts, told the Guardian.

But now he is “unable to progress towards forgiveness and with the application site down. I can’t restart them on a different repayment plan. I’m not even sure if my current employment is going to count towards repayment at this point.”

This decision also leaves countless borrowers—including teachers, nurses, and public servants—without the relief they were promised. Many were counting on these programs to make payments manageable and eventually have a path to loan forgiveness.

The administration’s move to block new applications for SAVE, the most affordable repayment plan, cuts a vital lifeline and pushes millions of Americans into financial hardship.

We call on the Department of Education to immediately reinstate applications for all income-driven repayment plans and restore full access to Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Image: Getty