How Easy Is Filing Your Student Loan Forgiveness Application?

Applications for student loan forgiveness opened on October 15, with as many as 22 million people submitting their applications during the first week.

The student debt initiative is expected to forgive up to $20,000 in loan debt for tens of millions of borrowers with incomes below $125,000 a year, or for households that bring in less than $250,000 a year.

The U.S. Department of Education suggested that up to 40 million student loan borrowers would be eligible for the relief, with up to half of those borrowers becoming completely debt free.

However, the plan to reduce student debt hasn't been made without serious backlash from the opposition, as a federal appeals court on Friday was forced to temporarily halt the program.

"Republican members of Congress and Republican governors are doing everything they can to deny this relief, even to their own constituents," Mr. Biden said in a speech at Delaware State University on Friday.

Considering a motion from six Republican-led states, the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals placed a freeze on the forgiveness program, and that only applies for a short period until the court considers the states' request for a preliminary injunction.

While this may sound like bad news for graduates, the online application for student loan forgiveness is still live and active, and the White House is continuing to urge borrowers to submit their applications.

And, with tens of millions having already applied, the process couldn't be simpler.

"I was not expecting it to be so straightforward," said ninth-grade teacher Jenny Hewitt [name changed]. "When Biden announced a student loan relief program, I almost cried.

"I've been struggling with my student debt for a while now and I really needed an easy win. I love being a teacher, its not the highest paid job so things have been a struggle financially."

The mom-of-two from Kissimmee, Florida, told Newsweek that she was ecstatic to hear about the initiative, but she put off applying for it fearing a complicated online form.

"I even arranged for my husband to take the kids out so I could have some peace and quiet. I really thought it would be a much bigger deal.

"I was expecting lengthy questions about my income and working situation, and if I'm being honest I would have struggled to upload documentation had they asked for it.

"It all sounded far too good to be true, but that application took me less than 10 minutes and if I'm being honest, it still sounds far too good to be true! Now the most difficult part of the process is the wait."

Hewitt and her family were also recently struck by the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, and though her family had safely evacuated to their distant family in Georgia, their home was not so lucky.

"I've been battling with my insurance company to get the funds I need for the water damage, but its been a lot of back and forth. I know I'm luckier than most, but I really needed some positive news and something to go my way," she said.

The student loan forgiveness form works on both a computer and a smartphone, is available in Spanish and English and can be completed in three easy steps: a welcome page, a form and a confirmation page to prove eligibility.

Beneficiaries don't need to create an account, and applicants only need five pieces of information: name, social security number, date of birth, phone number and email address.

If all goes well and your income if correctly verified, then you don't need to do anything more. If the department can't verify your income information on its own, it may reach out asking you to provide documentation to prove your income.

Then it's just a matter of waiting. The application is expected to take around six weeks to be approved from your submission date, which means those who have applied before November 15 should receive their payments before the new year.

"I'm incredibly excited about what this would mean for my family. The $10,000 I would be receiving won't completely pay down my debt, but with my additional savings I should be debt free in the next year. It's a weight off my shoulders."

Hewitt said she has big plans for her additional disposable income when she becomes debt free, including a well-earned trip to Disney World with her kids, and a new work truck for her husband.

"My mom has also been staying in an affordable care home since she developed dementia that is 4 hours away, but with the extra cash I'm hoping to get her moved to a nicer facility thats closer to home so she can spend what little time she has left with her grandkids," she added.

"This will truly change my life."

The appeals court is expected to make a decision on whether or not to impose a preliminary injunction, which the coalition of Republican-led states is requesting. If the court decides against the injunction, the student loan forgiveness plan will proceed as planned.

If the court decides to impose an injunction, the loan forgiveness program would continue to be blocked while the legal proceedings continue. A briefing is expected on the status of the student loan forgiveness program on October 25.