Public Service Loan Forgiveness

What is Public Service Loan Forgiveness?

Public Service Loan Forgiveness is a program for people who work in public service in federal, state, tribal, or local government, or for a non-profit organization. The 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.

What counts as a qualifying employer?

Qualifying employers include governmental employers and many not-for-profit organizations.

Does my employer qualify?

https://studentaid.gov/pslf/employer-search

(Organizations are identified using your employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN OR EIN. This can be located on your W-2)

For more specific information regarding not-for-profit examples, please visit:

Studentaid.gov/pslf/

What loans can be forgiven?

Only Direct Loan Program loans that are not in default are eligible. Loans you received under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program, or any other student loan program are not eligible for PSLF. If you have FFEL Program or Perkins Loan Program loans, you may consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan to take advantage of Public Student Loan Forgiveness.

How to Apply for PSLF:

1.) Use the PSLF Help Tool for all of the following:

2.) Check to see if your employer qualifies.

3.) Certify your employment each year.

4.) Apply for forgiveness once you’ve met all the requirements.

5.) Generate your PSLF form for signing and submitting to the PSLF servicer.

For the best experience using this tool, we strongly recommend that you read Become a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Help Tool Ninja before getting started.

https://studentaid.gov/articles/become-a-pslf-help-tool-ninja/