The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was created in recognition of the many ways public service workers make our communities, and our nation, better.
The PSLF program has forgiven over $74 billion to over 1 million educators and other public service workers.
NEA’s student debt experts have created tools designed to help educators through the PSLF application process. Check them out below!
STORIES OF STUDENT DEBT FORGIVENESS
Did you get your student debt cancelled through Public Service Loan Forgiveness? Help us continue to advocate for this program by sharing how PSLF helped you.
Apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
PSLF Eligibility
To qualify for PSLF, you must be employed full-time (30 hours or more per week) by a public service employer, which includes all public school districts and public and non-profit higher education institutions. This includes all educators:
- Teachers
- Education Support Professionals
- Specialized Instructional Support Personnel
- Higher Education Faculty, Including Adjunct/Contingent
How to Apply
- Connect with the U.S. Department of Education
- Go to studentaid.gov and login with your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID (or create one if you do not have one.) Your FSA ID provides access to your student debt dashboard, which includes a wealth of historical information on your federal student loans and debt forgiveness opportunities. Make sure your FSA ID contact information is up to date. The Department of Education will use that information to contact you about the progress of your PSLF application.
- If you have a Direct Loan and have NOT applied for PSLF, visit studentaid.gov/PSLF
- Access the Department of Education’s PSLF Help Tool to fill out your PSLF application.
- Submit your Employment Certification Form (ECF)
- After completing the PSLF Help Tool, you will need to get your employer(s)’s signature on each completed form, and submit the application(s) to Federal Student Aid.
- If you have a FFEL, Perkins, or Parent Plus loan, you must first consolidate into a Direct Loan for your loans to be eligible for forgiveness under PSLF.
- See our consolidation FAQ on how consolidation calculates the number of eligible payments.
Meet the NEA Student Debt Navigator
Frequently Asked Questions on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Our experts answered some of the most common questions about Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
