By Michael Sigl
This isn’t reform. This is servitude inflation. It’s a violation of law, trust, time, and every principle of fair contract.
The U.S. government has quietly extended repayment timelines for millions of borrowers by five more years—unilaterally, retroactively, and without consent. The forced migration from IDR plans like SAVE, REPAYE, and PAYE to a 30-year repayment scheme in 2028 is not just a policy change. It’s a betrayal.
They didn’t raise our payments. They stole five more years of our lives.
I signed a Master Promissory Note under specific terms. I followed every rule. The 20–25 year forgiveness window was not a suggestion — it was a cornerstone of the agreement. For the government to void that agreement and add more time is contractual betrayal.
No private lender could get away with this. No court would accept it from a landlord or employer. But when the government does it, they dress it up in policy language and hide behind complexity.
This isn’t just about five years. It’s about:
I will not switch early. I will not validate a policy that erases time. I will remain on SAVE until the last day they legally allow it. If they force me to move in 2028, then they must own that decision — and face the legal, historical, and moral consequences.
I, Michael Sigl, entered into a federal student loan agreement with the understanding that, under the laws in place at the time, my loans would be eligible for forgiveness after 25 years of compliant repayment. I have relied on this timeline in structuring my life, work, and finances. The retroactive extension of this timeline by five or more years — imposed without consent and in direct contradiction to the original terms — constitutes a violation of contract, of due process, and of the foundational legal expectation of good faith. I do not consent to this extension. I consider it unlawful, unconscionable, and a betrayal of trust.