How to Check PSLF Payment Count and Ensure Qualifying Payments

To check your PSLF payment count, you'll need to log in to the Federal Student Aid website and access your account information.

You can find your student loan account by visiting studentaid.gov and clicking on the "Log In" button.

To ensure qualifying payments, you'll need to have a qualifying repayment plan, which includes Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans such as Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE).

The payment count includes payments made under a qualifying repayment plan, as well as payments made under a standard repayment plan if you consolidated your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan.

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PSLF is a federal student loan forgiveness program that rewards public service work by wiping out eligible federal student loans after 120 qualifying payments, the equivalent of 10 years. Borrowers must work full-time for certain nonprofit or public organizations to qualify.

To qualify for PSLF, borrowers must meet the program's other eligibility rules, such as being on a qualifying repayment plan. This means borrowers have to stay on top of their paperwork and pay attention to their payment count to ensure they're on track to meet the 120-payment threshold.

Here are the key requirements to qualify for PSLF:

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is a federal student loan forgiveness program that rewards public service work by wiping out a borrower's eligible federal student loans after 120 qualifying payments, the equivalent of 10 years.

To qualify, borrowers must work full-time for certain nonprofit or public organizations. This can include government agencies, non-profit organizations, and some private companies.

Borrowers must also meet the program's other eligibility rules, such as being on a qualifying repayment plan. This means choosing a plan that is specifically designed to help borrowers in public service careers pay off their loans more efficiently.

If you're considering PSLF, make sure you understand the program's eligibility rules and requirements to ensure you're on the right track.

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Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is a federal student loan forgiveness program that rewards public service work by wiping out a borrower's eligible federal student loans after 120 qualifying payments, the equivalent of 10 years.

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To qualify, borrowers must work full-time for certain nonprofit or public organizations and meet the program's other eligibility rules, such as being on a qualifying repayment plan.

If you're a borrower with MOHELA, you can track your PSLF payments online through the upgraded online user portal, which includes a PSLF Payment Tracking feature.

This tracker will list out each of your loans and reflect your PSLF qualifying payments, separating payments that have already qualified via an ECF (Employment Certification Form) from those that need employment certification.

You can also track your progress toward getting PSLF by accessing the "Track Your PSLF Progress" link in the "Quick Links" box once logged in.

The PSLF Tracking dashboard will show a progress bar with the number of qualifying PSLF payments counted so far and the number of payments remaining before reaching the 120-payment threshold for student loan forgiveness.

To see more detailed information on your qualifying payment count, click the "show payment summary" link below the progress bar, but note that you'll only see qualifying payments displayed if you previously certified your employment by submitting a PSLF Employment Certification form.

Loan servicers like MOHELA can make processing mistakes, so it's essential to stay on top of your own paperwork and pay attention to your payment count.

If you believe there's an error in your payment count reflected after a new ECF is submitted, here are five steps to fix your PSLF payment count.

To get Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), you need to make 120 qualifying payments. These payments don't have to be consecutive, and you won't lose credit for past payments if you leave work or switch to a nonqualifying employer.

A qualifying payment is a monthly payment made on time, in full, while all four requirements are met. These requirements include being employed full-time by a qualifying employer, making payments under an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan, and making 120 qualifying payments.

You can review your PSLF payments month-by-month to see what's qualifying and what's not. Each month will have one of three possible designations: an open green circle, a closed green circle, or a closed red circle.

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Here's a breakdown of the three possible designations:

If you see an open green circle, it means the Education Department has not yet determined if your employment qualifies. If you submitted a PSLF Employment Certification that hasn't been processed, the status should be updated once approved. Otherwise, you need to submit the certification form for the month (or months) to count.

You can get more details on any particular month by clicking the "view details" link on the right-hand side of the qualifying payment table.

The form is retroactive, so it only certifies past PSLF qualifying payments up to the date on the form. Submitting the form annually isn't a requirement to qualify for PSLF, but it's recommended.

You can also view detailed information on each PSLF Employment Certification you've submitted, including the employer's name, submission date, and employment period being certified, by clicking the "view details" button on the right-hand side of the table.

You can review your PSLF employment certifications on StudentAid.gov. This is a great way to see which employment periods have been counted towards your loan forgiveness.

To get started, click on the "PSLF Payments" tab and look for the "Employment Certification" button next to "Payment History." This will give you detailed information on each employment certification you've submitted, including the employer's name and the submission date.

You can also click the "view details" button on the right-hand side of the table to get even more information. This will show you the employment period being certified, which can help you identify any missing periods.

If you notice any missing employment periods, you can submit a new PSLF Employment Certification to get them counted. The Education Department recommends using the online PSLF Help Tool to submit your certification, as it's typically a smoother and faster experience than submitting a paper form.

It's a good idea to review your employment certifications regularly to ensure you're on track to qualify for PSLF. This can also help you identify any potential issues before they become a problem.

Confirming PSLF works for your situation is crucial before you start your public service career. You generally shouldn't stay on the Standard Plan the entire time you're in repayment because you'll have nothing to forgive at the end.

To benefit from PSLF, you must repay your federal student loans on an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. This is because PSLF only works if you have a remaining loan balance after 120 qualifying payments.

Your monthly payment will be determined by your income while you're enrolled in an IDR plan. If your income increases over the course of your public service career, your monthly payment may also increase.

This increase can lead you to pay off your loan faster, but it may also mean you won't benefit from PSLF if you pay off your loan in under 10 years.

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Tracking your progress toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is crucial to stay on track and avoid any potential issues. You can access your PSLF tracking information once logged in, where you'll see a link in the "Quick Links" box that says, "Track Your PSLF Progress." Click that link to open a new page with a progress bar showing the number of qualifying PSLF payments counted so far and the number of payments remaining before reaching the 120-payment threshold for student loan forgiveness.

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The PSLF Tracking dashboard has an important notice saying, "Your PSLF payment information below may only reflect activity through April 2024 prior to the processing pause. We continue to work on updating your PSLF payment counts and expect updates through the end of 2024. Check back periodically." This is because the Education Department is prioritizing updating PSLF payment counts based on employment certifications submitted before the PSLF processing pause began.

To view your monthly breakdown of PSLF payments, click the "Payment History" link under "PSLF Payments." Each month will have one of three possible designations: an open green circle indicating "Employment Not Certified", a closed green circle indicating a qualifying PSLF payment, or a closed red circle indicating an ineligible payment.

Here's a breakdown of the possible designations you might see for each month:

You can get more details on any particular month by clicking the "view details" link on the right-hand side of the qualifying payment table.

You can submit the Employment Certification Form (ECF) to get your PSLF payment count verified. This form is retroactive, so it only certifies past PSLF qualifying payments up to the date on the form.

Submitting the ECF annually is recommended, as it can help you stay on track and ensure you have the most up-to-date qualifying payment count. You'll be notified of the total number of qualifying payments you've made and how many payments you must still make before you can qualify for PSLF.

To review your PSLF employment certifications, log in to StudentAid.gov and click the "Employment Certification" button under "PSLF Payments" and right next to "Payment History." This will give you detailed information on each ECF you've submitted, including the employer's name and the employment period being certified.

If you disagree with your qualifying payment count, you can submit a reconsideration request. However, be sure to review the program requirements for qualifying payments first to confirm that your situation warrants reconsideration for PSLF.