Sept. 29 is the first 90-day SAVE deadline; about 6 million had not switched as of Sept. 14

Business Insider reports that the first batch of borrowers told to leave the SAVE plan reaches its 90-day limit on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and that servicers expect to have sent notices to all SAVE borrowers by the end of 2026. According to Business Insider, the Education Department confirmed that about 1.5 million of the 7.5 million people enrolled in SAVE had chosen a new plan as of Monday morning, Sept. 14.

Key points

• The count: Business Insider's Ayelet Sheffey reported on Sept. 15 that about 80% of SAVE borrowers had not yet left the plan. By our arithmetic, 7.5 million minus 1.5 million is 6 million, which is four-fifths of 7.5 million. Newsweek (Suzanne Blake, published Sept. 15, updated Sept. 16) attributes a similar count to the department, dated only to the week of publication, and puts the number yet to switch at about 6 million. No later department count appears in the sources read for this summary.
• The clock: Business Insider says servicers began notifying enrolled borrowers on July 1 and calls Sept. 29 the deadline for the first batch; July 1 plus 90 days is Sept. 29 (our arithmetic). Newsweek likewise calls it the first group's deadline. CNBC (Annie Nova, Sept. 19) reports that servicers are staggering their notices, that Sept. 29 is the earliest date borrowers must exit SAVE according to a court filing by the Education Department, and that the department has noted most borrowers will get extra time. One servicer, MOHELA, says in its SAVE FAQ that a borrower must switch within 90 days of the notice date, that its own notices go out in waves between July and October 2026, and that borrowers are not required to switch until a notice arrives.
• Without a choice: MOHELA says a borrower who does not choose is placed automatically in the Standard Repayment Plan or the new Tiered Standard Plan, and which of the two depends on when the loans were disbursed. Business Insider describes the default as "a standard plan with the highest payments." It also notes that the department offered no comment on the timing of those moves or on how borrowers will be notified. Newsweek attributes to Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, the view that a borrower who misses their own deadline could face a much larger bill and slower progress toward forgiveness programs. That is Beene's assessment, not a department figure.
• The options: MOHELA says a court order ended SAVE in March 2026 and calls the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and the Tiered Standard Plan the newest plans, available since July 1. Its repayment plan table says RAP ties payments to income and household size and sets a $10 minimum monthly payment.
• Errors: Business Insider reported on Sept. 15 that some borrowers who chose new plans received bills that did not match the higher payment actually due, and that a separate group got notices calling their accounts delinquent and near default when, it says, they were not. Business Insider says the department told it that it knew of the errors and had resolved them, and that some borrowers are still unsure what they owe. Newsweek reports the same kinds of errors.
• The lawsuit: Business Insider reports that a lawsuit seeks to stop the forced move of SAVE borrowers into new plans, that the law firm Public Goods Practice asked the court for that relief in a June motion, and that as of Sept. 15 the judge had yet to rule. It says the department disputes the suit's claims and has urged borrowers to pick a repayment option it calls lawful. This summary makes no prediction about the outcome.

Why it matters

Two numbers are easy to run together. About 6 million is the count who had not yet chosen a new plan as of Sept. 14. Sept. 29 is the deadline for the first batch, the borrowers notified when servicers began on July 1, according to Business Insider and Newsweek; neither says how many borrowers are in that batch, and CNBC reports that many borrowers have more time because notices are staggered. For a student or graduate on SAVE, MOHELA's FAQ says two practical things: if MOHELA is your servicer, the 90 days count from your notice, and you do not have to wait for the notice before choosing a plan. Newsweek reports that a department spokesperson said the department is pleased that nearly 1.5 million borrowers had already moved, and it carries Beene's view that a missed window could mean a bigger bill; both are views, and this summary picks neither. The lawsuit was unresolved as of Business Insider's Sept. 15 report. The one-point auto pay rate cut has a separate Sept. 30 cutoff, covered in an earlier story. This describes the rules as the sources report them; it does not recommend a plan.

This is an AI-written summary of the reporting credited above and the other sources linked in the text, read and edited by Nicholas before publishing. The facts and any quote belong to those sources; the wording is ours. Read the original.