US student loan borrowers win key court battle as judge rejects delay in loan forgiveness processing

A federal judge has denied the Department of Education's request for an 18-month extension to process student loan forgiveness claims under the Sweet v. Cardona settlement. This ruling upholds a January 2026 deadline, impacting over 200,000 borrowers who applied for relief through the Borrower Defense to Repayment program. The decision reinforces government accountability in handling these long-pending claims.