FHA Updates Student Loan Payment Calculations

The FHA recently announced updates to its student loan monthly payment calculations, taking steps to remove barriers and provide more access to affordable single family FHA-insured mortgage financing for creditworthy individuals with student loan debt, which has a disproportionate impact on people of color. 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.

The policy updates published on Thursday evening for FHA Single Family Title II forward mortgages remove the current requirement that lenders calculate a borrower's student loan monthly payment of 1% of the outstanding student loan balance for student loans that are not fully amortizing or are not in repayment. The new policy bases the monthly payment on the actual student loan payment, which is often lower and helps home buyers who, with student debt, meet minimum eligibility requirements for an FHA-insured mortgage.