Get Debt Relief Under the PSLF Waiver
Recent changes to PSLF will exist only until Oct. 31, 2022. Make sure you are getting the student debt relief you deserve. Check out our resources below.
Take Action Before Oct. 31, 2022
Go to studentaid.gov/pslf, login with your Federal Student Aid ID (or create one if you do not have one) and make sure contact information is up to date. The U.S. Department of Education uses this as their primary method of contact to reach you about the progress of your PSLF application.
- If you have a Direct Loan, have made 120 payments, and have applied for PSLF, you should receive automatic forgiveness or updates about your payment count soon.
- If you have a Direct Loan and have NOT applied for PSLF, you need to apply for PSLF immediately, even if you haven’t reached 120 payments yet.
- If you have a FFEL or Perkins loan, you must first consolidate into a Direct Loan, then apply for PSLF before the waiver period ends on October 31, 2022.
To begin your PSLF application, visit studentaid.gov/pslf to use the Department of Education’s PSLF Help Tool.
Why You Should Apply
You should submit the PSLF application even if you have not yet made 120 qualifying payments or reached 10 years of service.
Submitting the application will help confirm you are on the right track by ensuring you are making qualifying payments and working for a qualifying employer.
It will also allow Federal Student Aid (FSA) to alert you if any changes are necessary and, under the temporary waiver, ensure any payments you’ve made that qualify under the temporary waiver but would not otherwise qualify under the regular PSLF requirements are counted toward your total.
Learn More
- Listen to the NEA podcast ” The PSLF Changes that Could Change Your Life” for additional info and helpful advice.
- NEA Webinar: Educators of Color and Public Service Loan Forgiveness
- Visit the NEA Student Debt Navigator.
- View NEA’s Student Debt page here.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was created in 2007 to forgive the federal student debt of public employees, including teachers, faculty, and education support professionals, who provide 10 years of service and make 120 monthly payments on their student loans.
However, the Trump administration denied over 90 percent of applications and kept public service workers paying interest on debts that should have been canceled.
The Biden administration’s overhaul fixes some of the technicalities and will mean debt forgiveness right away for tens of thousands of public service workers and eventual forgiveness for many more.
