The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was created in recognition of the many ways public service workers make our communities, and our nation, better.
However, for too long the system was broken, meaning educators who had rightfully earned forgiveness were being rejected by the program.
But, under the Biden Administration, over 942,000 educators and public service workers have received $68 billion in student loan forgiveness through PSLF (and counting).
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 CANCELLATION
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, then apply for PSLF.
- Only Federal Direct Loans are eligible for PSLF. You will need to consolidate before June 30, 2024, to take advantage of the Department of Education’s one-time account adjustment, which will credit any payments made on these loans for the purposes of PSLF.
- The processing of new PSLF forms is currently on "pause," but borrowers should still submit forms and make payments.
- The Department of Education is transitioning the servicing of PSLF applications from MOHELA to studentaid.gov. To facilitate that transition, the Department has paused the processing of all PSLF forms. Borrowers can submit forms during the pause, but forms will not be processed until the pause concludes in July 2024. Payments to loan servicers are still due during the pause.
Meet the NEA Student Debt Navigator
Frequently Asked Questions on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
For too long, a handful of policymakers have weakened programs that were designed to help all Americans achieve a higher education, and enabled profiteers, including federal student loan servicers, to make a profit off the backs of students and educators.
Our experts answered some of the most common questions about Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
