FHA Student Loan Payment Calculation For 2021

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has updated the payment calculation of monthly obligation for student loans. The change is effective for all case numbers assigned on or after August 16, 2021

Lenders must include all student loans in the Borrower’s liabilities, regardless of the payment type or status of payments.

Required Documentation: If the payment used for the monthly obligation is less than the monthly payment reported on the Borrower’s credit report, the Lender must obtain written documentation of the actual monthly payment, the payment status, and evidence of the outstanding balance and terms from the creditor or student loan servicer. The Lender may exclude the payment from the Borrower’s monthly debt calculation where written documentation from the student loan program, creditor, or student loan servicer indicates that the loan balance has been forgiven, canceled, discharged, or otherwise paid in full.

Calculation of Monthly Obligation: For outstanding Student Loans, regardless of payment status, the Lender must use:

  • the payment amount reported on the credit report or the actual documented payment, when the payment amount is above zero; or
  • 5 percent of the outstanding loan balance, when the monthly payment reported on the Borrower’s credit report is zero

FHA announces major changes in in Mortgagee Letter 2021-13. We can now calculate your student loan payments based on 0.5% of the balance or take a Income Based Repayment Plan! FHA Updates the rules on Student Loan monthly payments deferred or Income Based Repayment plan… (4) Calculation of Monthly Obligation For outstanding Student Loans, regardless of payment status, the Mortgagee must use: • the payment amount reported on the credit report or the actual documented payment, when the payment amount is above zero; or • 0.5 percent of the outstanding loan balance, when the monthly payment reported on the Borrower’s credit report is zero.

FHA now allowing 0.5% on Student Loans instead of 1%

FHA now allowing 0.5% on Student Loans instead of 1%
On Friday, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced updates to its student loan monthly payment calculations to take steps to remove barriers and provide more access to affordable single-family FHA-insured mortgage financing for creditworthy individuals with student loan debt.

The updated policy more closely aligns FHA student loan debt calculation policies with other housing agencies, helping to streamline and simplify originations for borrowers with student loan debt obligations.

This announcement enhances FHA’s ability to serve one of its core demographics—first-time homebuyers.

For all outstanding student loans, regardless of payment status, the payment must be calculated as follows:

If the payment on the credit report is greater than $0, use
the payment reporting on credit, or
the actual documented payment
If the payment on the credit report is $0, use
0.5% of the outstanding loan balance
If documented that the loan has been forgiven, canceled, or discharged in full, the payment can be excluded.

Lenders may implement the changes immediately but must implement the changes for FHA Case Numbers assigned on or after August 16, 2021.

Joel Lobb
Mortgage Loan Officer
Individual NMLS ID #57916

American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.10602 Timberwood Circle Louisville, KY 40223Company NMLS ID #1364

click here for directions to our office
Text/call:      502-905-3708fax:            502-327-9119
email:
          kentuckyloan@gmail.com

https://www.mylouisvillekentuckymortgage.com/

Student Loans In Collections, What Can I Do to get Approved For A Kentucky Mortgage ?

Student Loans In Collections, What Can I Do?
If you have public student loans in collections, you really have three options to resolve it so it is not a CAIVRS issue.
1.      Pay it off in full – Not typically an option because very rarely do the clients have the funds to do so.
2.      Consolidation – Only takes about 90 days to consolidate and resolve CAIVRS issues. However, you push forward the last activity dates, DLA, and also introduce a new credit trade line that dilutes the length of the credit history. So you will normally see a drop in credit score.
3.      Rehabilitation – It is the slowest of all the options, but is the best thing for the clients’ credit scores. It is a 9 month commitment and once the client makes 9 consecutive payments, they will change the collection status to a good standing status. This will typically net a 40-100 point boost in the score depending on how many other collections are on the credit report.
If your client does not know who is servicing the student loan, they can contact the Student Loan Default Resolution Team at 1-800-621-3115 or visit the website at myeddebt.ed.gov
Bonus Tip: Private student loans do not adhere to consolidation or rehabilitation rules. If the client has private student loans in collections they will need to pay them off in full, or they will need to set up a payment plan on them. They will still remain in collections with a payment, but if you can get a qualified credit score you can push forward the loan including the liability payment towards the debt to income ratio.
As always, we bring you the best content so you can do what you do best, CLOSE LOANS! If you aren’t already sending us every credit challenged borrower you have, what is stopping you?
Guidelines for KY FHA, VA, USDA and VA Mortgage loans with Student Loans on A Credit Report:
Kentucky Fannie Mae or Conventional Guidelines for Student Loans:
  • If a monthly payment is on the credit report, the lender may use that amount for qualifying purposes.
  • If a monthly payment is on the credit report is incorrect, the lender may use the monthly payment on the most recent student loan statement
  • If the monthly payment on the credit report is zero, the lender must use one of the following options to calculate the payment for qualifying purposes
  1. Document the borrower is on an income driven payment plan and the actual monthly payment is zero
  2.  Use 1% of the outstanding student loan balance as the monthly payment
  3. Calculate a fully amortized payment using documented loan repayment terms
Kentucky FHA Mortgage Loans Guidelines:
Regardless of the payment status (currently in payment or deferred), the lender must use either:
  • The greater of:
  1. 1% of the outstanding balance; or
  2. The monthly payment reported on the credit; or
  •  Calculate a fully amortized payment using documented loan repayment terms
Kentucky USDA or Rural Housing Guidelines:
 
 
Regardless of the payment amount reporting on the credit, the lender must include the payment as follows:
  • A permanent amortized, fixed payment may be used in the debt ratio when the lender retains documentation to verify the payment is fixed, the interest rate is fixed, and the repayment term is fixed.
  • Payments for deferred loans, Income Based Repayment (IBR), Graduated, Adjustable, and other types of repayment agreements which are not fixed cannot be used in the total debt ratio calculation. One percent of the loan balance reflected on the credit report must be used as the monthly payment. No additional documentation is required.
Kentucky  VA Mortgage Guidelines for Student Loan:
  • If the borrower can document the student loan will be deferred 12 months from the closing date, the monthly payment does not need to be considered
  • If a student loan is in repayment or scheduled to begin repayment within 12 months from the closing date, the threshold payment amount must be calculated by  using 5% of the loan balance divided by 12 months
  • If the payment reporting on the credit report is greater than the threshold payment calculation amount, then the credit report payment must be used for ratios.
  • If the payment reporting on the credit report is less than the threshold payment calculation and the lender is using the lower payment to qualify the borrower then:
  1. A statement from the student loan servicer reflecting the actual loan terms and payment information must be included in the file.
  2. The statement must be dated within 60 days of closing
  3. It is the underwriter’s discretion to use the lower payment

As you can see, Fannie Mae or Conventional loans is the most lenient when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage loan with someone that has a lot of student loans on their credit report.