Access to student loan repayment plans blocked. What does this mean for borrowers?

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Recent changes to federal student loans have sparked chaos and confusion among borrowers.

The Trump Administration has blocked access to certain student loan repayment plans, while at the same time laying off the very people who can answer questions from borrowers.

Millions now face financial uncertainty. To make matters worse, the agency that oversees the federal loan system is laying off half of its workforce. The wait time to talk to someone at the Department of Education is reportedly about four hours, and the government's loan assistance website suffered an outage this week.

Consumers' anxiety was sparked by the government putting a pause on income-driven repayment plans, which take into account a borrower's finances and family size and have some forgiveness or loan cancellation built into them.

"The Trump Administration said, no, we are not going to continue to forgive loans through these programs. Let's put this on hold," said Sonia Lewis, the CEO of the Student Loan Doctor.

Now the Education Department has taken down online and paper applications for those plans, which also means people can't manage or modify their accounts.

"Right now, if I was a borrower, I would log into StudentAid.gov and I would print out and literally take a look at all of my records," said Lewis.

So if your loans are transferred, you have a clear, accurate record of what you owe.

Also, confirm your recertification deadlines with your loan servicers.

"The second thing is, you can also make a complaint, a formal complaint through studentaid.gov if you find that once we go back into repayment that this is a hardship," said Lewis.

You can opt to pause payments now through deferment and forbearance, but beware.

"They can be costly for borrowers, and they will extend the time that borrowers pay on their loans. But if there is a choice between making a student loan payment or feeding your family. That is an option that is available to people," said Persis Yu of the Student Borrower Protection Plan.

Yu also advises borrowers who are struggling to reach out to their congressional representatives.

Meantime, Lewis hosts a free online workshop every week. Anyone can log on and ask questions.