Public Loan Forgiveness Application Process and Requirements

To apply for Public Loan Forgiveness, you'll need to be working full-time for a qualifying employer, which includes government organizations, non-profit organizations, and some private companies.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is designed to forgive the remaining balance on your loans after 120 qualifying payments.

First, you'll need to consolidate your loans into a Direct Loan, which is the only type of loan eligible for PSLF.

To qualify, your employer must be a 501(c)(3) organization, which is a specific type of non-profit organization.

You'll also need to be employed full-time by a qualifying employer, which can include government organizations, non-profit organizations, and some private companies.

Make sure to choose a qualifying repayment plan, such as the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan, to be eligible for PSLF.

To be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, you need to work for a qualifying employer. Any U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government agency is considered a government employer for the PSLF program, including public schools, colleges, and universities.

To qualify, you don't need to be in a specific job position, but rather be employed by a qualifying employer. For example, if you're a full-time employee of a public school system, your employment would meet the requirements for PSLF, regardless of your position.

Defaulted Direct Loans are not eligible for PSLF, but you can become eligible if you resolve the default through rehabilitation or consolidation.

To be eligible for PSLF, you must have the correct type of loans, which are part of the federal direct loan program, including grad PLUS loans. Private student loans aren't eligible, but you can consolidate other types of federal student loans, such as Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans, Parent PLUS loans, and Perkins loans, to make them PSLF-eligible.

Here are the types of loans that can be consolidated to make them PSLF-eligible:

If you have worked in public service for 10 years or more, you may be eligible to have all your student debt canceled, even if you didn't make all your payments or pay the full amount.

To apply for public loan forgiveness, start by signing in to the Federal Student Aid website with your FSA ID. If you don't have an account, create one, request your FSA ID, or reset your password as needed.

Use the PSLF Help Tool to determine if you have the correct loan type or whether you need to consolidate your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan to qualify for PSLF. The help tool will walk you through the consolidation process and help verify if your employer is a qualifying employer.

You'll need to download the PSLF form or use the PSLF Help Tool to generate it. Be sure to use the correct Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your employer. For example, CBP employees should use USDA (72-0564834).

Once you've completed Sections 1-3 of the form, sign and date it. Electronic forms require you to save the PDF file before signing, and only hand-drawn signatures are accepted.

To verify your length of service, access your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) and save a copy of your CBP entry-on-duty SF-50. If you had a break in service, you'll need to provide all SF-50s.

Send your completed PSLF form and SF-50(s) to your support staff and/or supervisor for certification. The PSLF form is returned to you after certification.

Finally, submit your completed form following the directions in Section 7 of the PSLF form.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you apply:

You may be eligible for loan forgiveness if you work in public service for 10 years or more. This includes jobs in federal, state, local, tribal government, or non-profit organizations.

Not all student loans qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Only William D. Ford Direct Loans are eligible, but you can consolidate private loans or other federal student loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan to make them eligible.

To qualify for loan forgiveness, you must have made 120 qualifying payments while working for a qualifying employer. These payments must be made under a qualifying repayment plan, for the full amount shown on the bill, and no later than 15 days after your due date.

You'll need to submit an employment certification form for your current employer and each employer you had while making the 120 payments. If you've been completing these forms regularly, you'll only need to submit one for your current employer.

The Education Department recommends submitting the PSLF application annually and each time you switch employers. You can apply online or by mail, and you must be working full-time for a qualifying employer at the time of application.

Here are some examples of borrowers who have been forgiven large amounts of debt through PSLF:

To qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), you must be enrolled in one of four income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, which have a payment term of 20-25 years. These plans include SAVE, which caps your monthly payments at 5% to 10% of discretionary income.

You can also be enrolled in the Standard Repayment Plan, but it's a 10-year term, which means your loan forgiveness will kick in just as you make your last payment. The Standard Repayment Plan for Direct Consolidation Loans is different and doesn't qualify for PSLF.

If you have a family of four, you may qualify for $0 monthly payments under the SAVE plan, while still earning PSLF payment credit. You can see what your payments could look like under various plans with the Education Department's loan simulator.

To qualify for PSLF, you must make 120 payments, but the one-time IDR account adjustment will count payments made toward your federal loans while working a qualifying PSLF job, regardless of the payment plan you've been on. This includes months spent in the pandemic payment pause from March 2020 through September 2023.

Here are the income-driven repayment plans that qualify for PSLF:

Note that the Standard Repayment Plan is not included in this list, as it's a 10-year term and doesn't qualify for PSLF.

If your Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) application was rejected in the past, you can request a reconsideration online at StudentAid.gov starting in April 2022.

You'll be able to submit one or more reconsideration requests to certify employment or payment determinations without needing to provide more documentation upfront.

To determine if you need a reconsideration of your employer, use the PSLF Help Tool.

If your employer isn't eligible, consider providing documentation on why the not-for-profit organization you work for should qualify.

The Federal Student Aid office didn't indicate how long it would take to review each submission, so make sure your StudentAid.gov account has the most up-to-date contact information.

You still must meet payment and employment requirements under the law, including the current waiver that would count previously ineligible payments.

Here are the steps to request a reconsideration:

Remember, there's no deadline for requesting a reconsideration, so don't hesitate to reach out if you think your application should be reviewed again.