On average, student loan borrowers owe $33,000 in student loan debt, totaling over 1 trillion and counting for all borrowers summed together.
It’s depressing to think about how and why this happened, and unfortunately, the student loan debt crisis isn’t going away anytime soon.
However, if you work in public service, you could have the option to say bye-bye to a considerable chunk of your debt through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Continue reading to learn which jobs qualify and how you can apply.
What is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program?
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program is a snippet of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (CCRAA). It is also one of the four teacher loan forgiveness plans available to educators. PSLF’s goal is to forgive a part of a public service employee’s student loan debt once they satisfy its requirements.
Requirements and What To Expect
Multiple factors can affect a person’s qualification for PSLF. You can learn more about these qualifications from our blog The Ultimate Guide To Student Loan Forgiveness. But, here are the two primary requirements that you must meet before you can apply:
- You’ve made 120 monthly payments while enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan.
- You’ve worked full-time (at least 30 hours per week) for a qualifying public service employer, while you made the 120 monthly payments.
If you think you already meet these requirements, you can apply!
- You’ll submit your PSLF application and Employee Certification Forms to Fedloan. (The servicer that services all PSLF related forms and applications).
- Fedloan will then review and either approve or deny toys PSLF application, based on the information provided.
- If you are approved, Fedloan will let you know by letter that the remaining balance of your debt will be forgiven.
- If you’re denied, Fedloan will detail the reasons for your denial and you’ll then be allowed to reapply.
Qualified Public Service Employers
But first, let’s make sure that your employer is qualified as public service. Can you answer yes to any of the questions below?
- Are you employed by the government?
- Are you employed by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization? Some examples include private and charter schools.
- Are you employed by the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps?
Still not sure? Common jobs and careers that are eligible for PSLF are:
- University, community college, public school, and public library employees
- Public school teachers and teacher assistants
- Military personnel, firefighters, and police officers
- Federal agency employees
- Non-profit hospital employees and medical professionals
For a more complete list of common jobs that qualify for PSLF, read our blog here: Does your Job Qualify for PSLF?
Ready to Apply?
Get the forgiveness you deserve! You can apply by downloading the PSLF application and Employee Certification Form (this will need to be completed and signed by each employer you’ve worked for during the 120 monthly repayment period), once the application and form(s) are completed and signed, you submit them to Fedloan.
Or, Chipper can help by filling out the application and form(s) for you, making sure they’re filed correctly and submitting them on your behalf. And if you are denied for not having met all of the requirements for PSLF, we’ll do everything we can to get you on the right track! 💜