The US Department of Education has halted the cancellation of student loans in Income-Based Repayment plans, prompting concern among borrowers that their loans will not be forgiven anytime soon.

Nearly 8 million borrowers in the student loan repayment plan, SAVE, will soon start to see interest accrue on their federal student loans. The U.S. Education Department announced last week that it would resume applying interest starting Aug. 1 for borrowers with loans in the Saving on a Valuable Education plan.

Nearly 500,000 borrowers have been rejected from the SAVE loan program, forcing many to seek alternative repayment options and raising questions about eligibility rules.

The pause impacts millions seeking relief under one of the last remaining federal income-driven repayment options not blocked by legal challenges.

Many student loan borrowers could see their monthly bills more than double now that the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan is defunct.