The US Education Department has changed its payment calculations for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Buyback program, which allows public servants to make retroactive payments for months they missed due to forbearance. The department will now use the IBR, PAYE, or ICR formulas, which are significantly more expensive. This change can be dramatic for public servants who accepted lower salaries in exchange for debt relief. Over 88,000 borrowers are waiting for a decision on their PSLF Buyback application, a backlog that has been growing for months. The change comes at a crucial time as roughly 7.2 million people remained in SAVE as of December 2025. Experts advise borrowers to compare the monthly payment amount on their buyback offer against what they would pay under the most affordable qualifying repayment plan.