He retired after he got notified of student-loan forgiveness. Then his payments came back.
A 71-year-old student-loan borrower got notified that he was approved for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Now, he's fighting to keep that relief.
Donald Knierim, a 60-year-old financial data systems designer, retired at age 71 after receiving notification of student-loan forgiveness. Knierim, who worked for Metra, Chicago's commuter railway, had a $62,000 student loan balance from financing his children's college education. He was confident that 10 years of public service payments would erase the debt.
However, months later, he received an update stating that 15 previous payments were no longer eligible for forgiveness, as they fell below the required income-driven repayment plan amount. This meant Knierim would need to continue paying around $470 monthly for at least another year and a half to achieve loan forgiveness. The situation put a financial strain on Knierim and his wife, who is dealing with serious health issues.
Knierim has reached out to his servicer and Federal Student Aid, requesting his payments to be reinstated. Despite his efforts, his credit score has dropped by more than 200 points due to missed payments, and his account is now delinquent and at risk of default. Knierim is now asking for the initial communication from his student-loan servicer to be honored, expressing disbelief that the forgiveness was revoked after he thought the process was complete.
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