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A US flag flies as students earning degrees at Pasadena City College participate in the graduation ceremony, June 14, 2019, in Pasadena, California.

About 2 million federal student loan borrowers, many of whom are seeking debt relief from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, will get a new federal student loan servicer as soon as early July.

FedLoan — an arm of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency known as PHEAA — is currently servicing those loans.

But a year ago, PHEAA decided to end its contract with the federal government. Beginning last fall, the federal loans serviced by FedLoan have been transferred in stages to several other servicers. About 2 million accounts still need to be transferred.

In July, loans held by borrowers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will start being transferred to the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, known as MOHELA. These transfers will continue throughout the summer, according to the Department of Education.

In recent years, FedLoan was tasked with handling the loans for every borrower seeking debt relief from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which cancels the debt of government and nonprofit workers after making 10 years of qualifying payments. Once a borrower indicated they want to enroll in the program, their loans were transferred to FedLoan.

But FedLoan drew criticism from borrower advocates for making errors and providing misinformation to borrowers about the qualifications. In 2021, PHEAA settled a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, alleging the loan servicer violated state and federal consumer protection laws. PHEAA agreed to provide individual audits to all 200,000 Massachusetts borrowers it services.

Last year, the Biden administration temporarily expanded eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to include borrowers who have older loans that didn't originally qualify as well as those who were in the wrong repayment plan but met the other requirements. By the end of May, the Department of Education had approved forgiveness for close to 145,000 borrowers under this waiver.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness borrowers can expect to receive several notices as their loans are transferred.

A notice from FedLoan is expected to be sent at least 15 days before the transfer occurs, followed by a welcome notice from MOHELA once the transfer is complete.

Borrowers' full account details should be available from MOHELA no later than 10 business days after the loan transfer date included in the transfer notification sent from FedLoan, according to the MOHELA website.

The loans are being transferred, not sold. That means the change will not impact the existing terms, conditions, interest rates, loan discharge or forgiveness programs, or available repayment plans on the loans. The repayment plan a borrower is enrolled in does not change once transferred unless the borrower opts to make a change.

A US flag flies as students earning degrees at Pasadena City College participate in the graduation ceremony, June 14, 2019, in Pasadena, California.

Borrowers are not required to do anything during the transfer process.

FedLoan also services some non-PSLF borrowers. The vast majority of those accounts have already been transferred from FedLoan to other loan servicers, including Aidvantage, EdFinancial or Nelnet.

Two other loan servicers also ended their contracts with the Department of Education last year. Loans serviced by Navient were transferred to Aidvantage and loans that were serviced by Granite State were transferred to Edfinancial Services. Those transfers were complete by the end of 2021.

The Department of Education post updates about PSLF processing and loan transfers to its website Studentaid.gov.

To take advantage of the temporary PSLF waiver, some borrowers may need to take action by Oct. 31.

Borrowers who previously had a non-qualifying loan, such as the Federal Family Education Loan, must consolidate their debt into a federal Direct Loan and then submit a PSLF form to show qualifying employment by the October deadline. After the consolidation is complete, the new loan will be transferred to MOHELA.

For those who are currently serviced by FedLoan and are enrolled in the PSLF program, no action is required. Their loans will automatically be transferred to MOHELA over the summer.

The Department of Education continues to review PSLF borrowers' past payments to count those who are newly eligible for the forgiveness program. Due to the temporary waiver, it no longer matters what kind of federal student loan a borrower had or what payment plan he or she was enrolled in. All payments will be eligible for the PSLF program if the borrower was working full time for a qualifying employer.

The transfer of federal student loans from FedLoan to MOHELA this summer comes as borrowers await to hear whether President Joe Biden decides to extend the pandemic-related pause on payments, as well as if he will act to broadly cancel student loan debt.

Payments are set to resume on federal student loans after Aug. 31 after being paused since March 2020. Federal student loan borrowers' balances have effectively been frozen during this time. Interest has stopped adding up and collections on defaulted debt have been on hold.

Biden has already extended the pause several times and is facing political pressure to delay the restart date again, which is currently set two months before the midterm elections.

The President is also facing pressure to cancel some student loan debt for every borrower. In April, Biden said he was considering some broad student loan forgiveness.

On the campaign trail, he said he would support $10,000 in forgiveness. White House officials have indicated that he is also looking at setting an income threshold so that high-earning borrowers would be excluded from the debt relief.

Student loan debt has plagued college graduates for years, with current U.S. debt levels hitting a record-breaking $1.76 trillion. Nationwide, student loan debt decreased since the start of the pandemic, in part due to economic relief efforts such as the CARES Act. While there was a 2.7% increase in 2021 compared to 2020, this represents the lowest year-over-year increase in the last decade—even with the lengthy pause on federal student loan payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden announced another extension for federal student loan borrowers until Aug. 31, 2022, to further provide relief.

Student loan debt plays a huge role in restricting financial freedom. Compared to other generations, more millennials have some form of student loan debt. Although they don't have the highest average debt compared to other generations like Gen Xers or baby boomers, about 14.8 million millennials still had some amount of student loan debt to repay, according to Education Data. It’s been one of the reasons why millennials have held off on big purchases such as buying a home; their aversion to debt precludes them from taking out additional loans, including mortgages.

Sound Dollar ranked the states with the highest percentage of student loan delinquencies using 2021 data from FRBNY Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax. States are sorted based on their proportion of student loan borrowers with accounts 90-plus days past due. The dataset also includes the overall total number of student loan borrowers in each state as well as the average student debt balance for each state. Both federal and private student loans are covered in this dataset.

Of all the states mentioned on this list, 10 out of 13 are located in the Southern region of the U.S. Student loan debt is also the second-highest consumer debt category, with mortgages being first. The Federal Reserve dataset lists the average student debt balance among borrowers across the U.S. as $36,200.

This story originally appeared on Sound Dollar and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

· Coal Winery and Kitchen at 81 Broad St., Bethlehem, has closed as its owner searches for a new location for the business, according to its Facebook page. 

· Lowhill Township supervisors approved a 312,120-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center on a 43.4-acre tract on the west side of Route 100, south of the Kernsville Road intersection.

· The Mint Gastropub at 1223 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, announced that it has temporarily closed to undergo a merger with a "well-known restaurant group" from Bethlehem.

· The Slatington Farmers Market opened its 28,000-square-foot showroom, which includes space for 53 vendors, as well as a 4,000-square-foot event space.

· St. Luke's University Health Network opened a new pediatric inpatient unit next to the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit at St. Luke's University Hospital – Bethlehem.

· 25th Asian House opened at the location of the former Tin Tin Chinese restaurant in the 25th Street Shopping Center in Palmer Township.

· The Chick-Fil-A in Broadcasting Square shopping center in Spring Township was razed to make way for a new, expanded facility for the popular chicken sandwich restaurant.

· Plans for drive-thru locations of a Chipotle and a Starbucks at the intersection of Ivy League Drive and Kutztown Road were rejected by Maxatawny Township planners.

· Cumru Township plannes reviewed preliminary plans for NorthPoint-Morgantown Commerce Center, a 738,720-square-foot warehouse to be built on 75.2 acres at Morgantown Road (State Route 10) and Freemansville Road.

· Kutztown University has plans to expand its historic Poplar House to 13,161 square feet with an addition around its side and back, but keep the 129-year-old structure intact.

· A wine store and beverage outlet could be coming to a new two-unit building along the commercial strip of Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Lehighton, Carbon County.

· ChristianaCare, a Delaware health care organization, has announced it will buy the former Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Chester County.

· Garden of Health Inc. celebrated the opening of the food bank's new warehouse at 201 Church Road, North Wales, in Montgomery County.

· Silverline Trailers Inc. opened its first location in Pennsylvania and in the Northeast at 223 Porter Road, Pottstown, where it sells utility, cargo, dump, equipment and car hauler trailers. 

· A new smoothie and bowl restaurant, Sips & Berries, opened at 285 Maple Ave., Harleysville, in Montgomery County.

· Terrain on the Parkway offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown. 

· Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown at 835 W. Hamilton St.

· While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office at 740 Hamilton St. on June 30.

· If you're in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, C& I Minerals is now operating at the South Mall at 3300 Lehigh St. in Allentown.

· The Allentown-based utility company PPL Corp. bought a major Rhode Island utility.

· Ownership at Martellucci's Pizzeria in Bethlehem has changed, but Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place at 1419 Easton Ave., just as it has been operated for 49 years. 

· Dr. Jacob Kasprenski's new Kasprenski Family Eye Care opened at 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua.

· Josie's New York Deli in downtown Easton closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting approved a request for a new sign at its building at 14 Centre Square. 

· Zekraft cafe has opened its second location in the Easton Silk Mill in Easton. The first Zekraft restaurant was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants' menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients. 

· Manta Massage at 319 Main St., Emmaus, will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m. 

· The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, will operate at 3625 Shankweiler Road in North Whitehall Township under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes. 

· Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, will own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township at the former Air Products headquarters campus at 7201 Hamilton Blvd. 

· Lehigh Valley Health Network ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital — a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility at 2128 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Mahoning Township.

· Pocono Township commissioners voted to accept Swiftwater Solar's preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.

· Firetree Ltd. wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.

· A Dunkin' in Schuylkill County located at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital. 

· The Conservatory music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The nonprofit, located at 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown, will close June 30.

· A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby's will be built on the site of the former Ahart's Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

· Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank Center for Business & Entrepreneurship will be located at 119 Main St., Flemington. 

· Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.

· Dunkin' reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township

· Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township  will hold a grand opening June 4.

· Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg

· Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer. 

· Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County

· Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.

· Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.

· Easton's new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday's through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.

· Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St

· Ma's Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m. 

· Bethlehem's Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city's historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and "go back to its origins as a wholesale business."

·The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations

· The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.

· St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.

· Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.

· Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.

· The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation. 

· The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.

· The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.

· Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location. 

· Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room

· Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading. 

· Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon. 

· Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County. 

· Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.

· The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.

· Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris's new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.

· Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.

· First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.

· Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.

· Pedro's Cafe in Emmaus to close

· SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

· Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. 

· Elpedio’s Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

· Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option. 

· Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine. 

· Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton. 

· King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.  

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