Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) allows eligible applicants who have worked full time with qualifying employers to be forgiven of their remaining loans. You can try to qualify for one if you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments for qualifying public service employment while working full time.
PSLF can help you wipe away ten years’ worth of loans without having to pay for the taxes on the amount forgiven. You only have to stick to the process.
Qualifying for PSLF
Before you mail your PSLF form, you have to know whether you qualify for the program. According to the Federal Student Aid, those who qualify for a PSLF are those who are employed full-time by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization. Your loan is also only eligible for a PSLF if it is a Federal Direct Loan, a loan made directly to the U.S. Department of Education.
You must have made 120 qualifying payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working for a qualifying employer. These 120 qualifying payments need not be consecutive.
Filling Out Your PSLF Form
Now that you’re all set, fill out your PSLF form. This is an official form from the Department of Education If you are unsure of what details to put, you can use the PSLF help tool.
The PSLF form is divided into different sections. In the first part, you have to fill in your personal information such as name, date of birth, address, social security number, etc. The second section is where you make an authorization request to the U.S. Department of Education for your PSLF application. The third part can be filled out by you or your employer. This part is where you put your employer’s information. The fourth part is the employer certification part and is to be filled out by your employer.
Don’t forget to attach your employer’s certification to your PSLF form. This ensures that you’re working for a qualifying employer and that your loan is transferred to the FedLoan which manages the PSLF program. Every year, you have to submit a PSLF form for you to know if you are making qualifying payments or not. This makes sure you are on the right track. Once your loans are transferred to FedLoan Servicing, they will review your PSLF form and inform you how many qualifying payments toward forgiveness have you made.
Where To Send PSLF
You can submit your Public Service Loan Forgiveness to the Following:
- Postal Mail Address:
Department of Education,
FedLoan Servicing, P.O. Box 69184,
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9184
- Fax to: 717-720-1628
- Upload to: MyFedLoan.org/FileUpload. If you’re already using FedLoan as your servicer, you can just upload your PSLF form on their website.