Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
U.S. Department of Education
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Q&As | Employment Certification Form
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.
- Recipients must be employed full-time for a government organization (at any level: federal, state, local, or tribal); or for a 501 (c)(3).
- Recipients cannot be employed by a labor union, political organization, for-profit organization, or a non-profit that is not a 501(c)(3). (Meaning that CAPS members would still be eligible.)
- Recipients must have received a federal student loan under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.
-If they received one of a Federal Family Education Loan or a Federal Perkins Loan, they are ineligible. They may be able to become eligible if they consolidate those loan types into a Direct Consolidation Loan.
- In order to qualify, recipients must have made 120 qualifying monthly payments after October 1, 2007
-Qualifying monthly payments are made:
*For the full amount due;
*No later than 15 days after the due date; and
*While the recipient is employed full-time by a qualifying employer.
-The qualifying monthly payments do not need to be consecutive.
- It takes 10 years of on-time, full-amount loan payment to qualify for PSLF.
- Applicants may submit an application once they have made 120 qualifying monthly payments. The program officially starts in October 2017.
Please visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for additional information.