Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

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.