PSLF Weighted Average: What It Is And How It Works Exactly?

• As of July 2024, the new PSLF weighted average rule is the default when consolidating loans.

• The PSLF weighted average rule lets you keep credit when consolidating. Your new loan gets a weighted average of qualifying payments instead of restarting.

• PSLF weighted average favors your largest loan, so your new count might drop if your biggest loan had fewer qualifying payments.

The PSLF weighted average rule can lower your qualifying payment count after consolidation, and most borrowers don’t realize it.

This rule doesn’t default to your oldest loan. Instead, it blends your federal student loans based on two things: how much you owe on each one and how many qualifying payments each has.

If your loans have very different histories, your new count might go down.

This is the standard rule now. The one-time waiver that gave you credit based on your oldest loan? That’s over.

If you’re thinking about consolidating, it’s important to understand how this rule works—so you don’t lose the progress you’ve already made toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Here’s what changed, how the weighted average is calculated, and what you can do to protect your forgiveness timeline.

The new weighted average rule decides how many qualifying payments your new Direct Consolidation Loan gets after you combine loans.

It doesn’t pick your loan with the most progress. It doesn’t start your count over at zero, either.

Instead, it blends your loans based on two things:

• How much do you owe on each loan

• How many qualifying monthly payments does each one have

This weighted average rule became standard after July 2024, replacing the one-time income-driven repayment and PSLF waiver, which gave borrowers credit based on the loan with the most qualifying payments. That waiver is over.

This new consolidation rule is now the default.

As you already know, your new Direct Consolidation Loan doesn’t keep the highest number when you consolidate for PSLF. It doesn’t reset to zero, either. It averages all your qualifying loan payments.

Here’s how it works:

The bigger loan carries more weight. If your largest loan has fewer qualifying payments, it could drag the average down. If it has more, it could pull the average up.

Take this, for example. Mariah works in public health, and she has:

• A $30,000 Grad PLUS loan with 100 qualifying payments

• A $10,000 undergrad loan with 20 payments

She recently consolidated loans to qualify for PSLF.

Here’s what her new count looks like:

($30,000 × 100) + ($10,000 × 20) = 3,000,000 + 200,000 = 3,200,000

Total loan balance: $40,000

3,200,000 ÷ 40,000 = 80 qualifying payments

Her new consolidation loan starts with 80 payments because most of her balance was already far along.

Now flip that: If her larger loan only had 20 payments and the smaller loan had 100, the average would drop. A lot.

That’s why it’s worth running the numbers first. With Public Service Loan Forgiveness, your loan mix matters more than you think.

Here’s how consolidation worked before, during the waiver, and how it works now.

The waiver allowed borrowers to consolidate loans and keep the highest PSLF count from any of them, even if the others had zero. That was a huge win for borrowers with older loans and split payment histories.

Now, consolidation gives you a weighted average, which can still help—but only if your largest loan has a solid PSLF history.

If you missed the waiver window, forgiveness is still possible. You just have to be more strategic about how (and when) you consolidate.

Related: When Will IDR Adjustments Be Made?

Maybe. But it depends on your loan mix and how close you are to forgiveness. Consolidation can help, but only if it moves you forward.

It’s usually a good idea if you have:

• FFEL or Perkins loans (they don’t qualify for PSLF or IDR unless you consolidate)

• Parent PLUS loans (they only count if you consolidate and choose the right repayment plan)

• Loans with little to no PSLF history, and you’re just getting started

But if some of your loans already have a high PSLF payment count and others barely have any progress, consolidation could pull your average down and delay forgiveness.

The more uneven your loans are, the more likely consolidation works against you.

Run the numbers first. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix anymore. If consolidation lowers your payment count, skip it.

To see your current PSLF payment count, log in to StudentAid.gov.

Once you’re in:

1. Once logged in, select “My Aid” from your account dashboard.

2. Scroll to the Loan Breakdown section.

3. Click on a loan to view the details.

4. Look for the line labeled “PSLF Payment Count”. That’s your official number of qualifying payments.

A few things to know:

• MOHELA isn’t the PSLF loan servicer anymore. If your loans were recently transferred, your count might not be up to date yet.

• If the number looks wrong (or hasn’t been updated in a while), submit a new PSLF Employer Certification Form to trigger a review. Related: Why Your PSLF Qualifying Payments Aren’t Counting

The PSLF weighted average consolidation rule is the new normal. It won’t wipe out your progress—but it won’t lock in your highest payment count, either.

Instead, it blends your loans based on how much you owe and how far along each loan is. The result depends entirely on your loan mix.

Consolidation can still be the right move in 2025, especially if you have FFEL, Perkins, or Parent PLUS loans or you’re just starting your path toward PSLF or IDR.

But if you’ve already racked up years of qualifying payments, run the numbers before you consolidate. The wrong move could set you back.

Not sure what to do?

Book a call with our student loan expert. We’ll help you figure out what actually gets you closer to forgiveness—and what could slow you down.

Related reading:

• How to Consolidate Student Loans for PSLF

• How Many Times Can You Consolidate Student Loans?

• IDR Loan Consolidation Plans Closed

• What Increases Your Total Student Loan Balance?

• What is Student Loan Consolidation, and How Do I Apply?