Right now, it is still difficult for many hard-working people to meet their living expenses and stay current on paying off their student loan debt. Quite a few who have graduated over the last five to ten years are struggling just as much as when they graduated from college. This is especially true for employees working in the public service sector. However, in just four years; October 2017 to be specific, student loan borrowers can begin the process to have their loans discharged, i.e. forgiven, if they meet the basic qualifications for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Unknown to Many
Police Officers May Qualify
By some estimates, there are well over 33 million public service workers who may qualify to have their student loans forgiven. This does not include only teachers as many people mistakenly believe. Firefighters, many Health Care Employees, Police Officers and members of the United States Armed Forces also qualify for this program. These workers make up about 25 percent of the entire U.S. workforce and will be needed even more in the future than today. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program was developed back in 2007 to encourage them to remain in their chosen careers despite the longer hours and lower wages so many of them have to deal with.
More Jobs Being Created That Qualify
By 2020, the Department of Education expects to need an additional 425,000 teachers. Those aren’t replacements for retiring teachers either. Add to that the number of new health care workers that will be required to help implement the rest of Obamacare beginning in 2014, and it is easy to see that the public service sector is going to see a tremendous amount of growth in the next seven years. These same workers are going to look at performing very important services that are going to transform education and the healthcare industry in this country.
No one becomes a teacher for the big payday. Even senior teachers put in more hours than they are reimbursed for and pay for extra copies of books out of their own pocket to make sure each student has one in the classroom even if they can’t afford one at home. There isn’t a single police officer or firefighter that looks at the job description and thinks “What great hours and even better benefits! Sign me up!” It’s a calling that few people understand unless they have heard it themselves or have close relatives that have answered it in their own lives.
Richard Cordray of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau perhaps put it best: “Teachers, soldiers, firefighters, policeman — public sector careers invariably involve some effort, some inconvenience or some sacrifice. People give up higher incomes to serve their city, their state or their country. We believe that people who contribute part of their talents, part of the benefits of their education, to society as a whole should not be mired in debt because they stir themselves to the calling of public service.”
It isn’t simply those high-profile positions that qualify though. Secretaries and clerks working for state and city governments can also apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Even many employees working for non-profit organizations are eligible to have their loans discharged if they can meet the criteria.
Qualifications for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
To begin with, you’ll need to be in the Direct Loan program and in and income based repayment or income contingent repayment plan. Once you are in the Direct Loan program with an income sensitive repayment, then you can apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. It’s OK if you have had multiple employers, but at the time you apply, you must be employed in a public service sector job. You must also be employed in the public service sector at the time the balance of your student loans is to be forgiven.
That is just what you have to do before the Federal Student Aid Office will even consider looking at your application for loan discharge. While the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is not an easy one to navigate, the potential savings can run into the tens of thousands of dollars depending on how much you originally borrowed. Student Debt Relief can help you ensure that when the time comes, you’ll have the money you need to buy a new car or even have a good down payment for a mortgage. You’ve sacrificed a lot to serve your community and your country. Now, it’s time to let us serve you.
Related Articles:
Student Loan Fairness Act
Public Service Loan Forgiveness – Countdown Till Forgiveness
Teacher Loan Forgiveness – A Sign of Gratefulness
Does this help anyone or just certain jobs? My son and daughter in law have good jobs but are having a hard time buying a house and starting a family because of their school loans. Their school loans combined couldmake a house payment. HELP
Roberta this particular program is for those that work in the public sector. There are other options as well but it largely depends on their particular situation. I would take a look at the income based repayment and see if that may be able to help them out
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I am Deputy Sheriff in L.A. County. I have tried to get my loan forgiven for over 4 years.
Kathleen are you in an income sensitive repayment with a Direct Loan? If so you would qualify for forgiveness after ten years of qualified payments. Also they will count payments made in the past so long as you were in the direct loan program and employed full time
I have my certification to teach but have not been able to gain a teaching position. For the past 5 years i have been working at a therapy center for children diagnosed with autism. 2 years with a non-profit company and 3 years with a for profit company. I’m single and I pay all of my bills independently. Even with my degree, I make about $15,000 LESS than a 1st year teacher and now my loans are in default. What can I do to get my loans back in good standing?
Valencia, if your loans are federal and you are not already consolidated into the William D Ford program, that can get you out of default in a matter of a couple months. Also within that program you can choose an Income Based Repayment which you may qualify for a very low payment if not zero on. If you would like to see what your payment could be in this program fill out this form and you will get an instant result.
You definitely want to get out of default before they start to garnish your wages, then you will have a much bigger problem on your hand. Good Luck! Call us if you would like some help.
This is very confusing. I have only had Stafford Loans during my college years, and I had it consolidated after I graduated. I work full-time at a local, public community college. Would I qualify for this loan forgiveness program? I will be in this position for ten years come July 2017. But I come out of deferment in January of next year after a year of deferrment, and I was paying my monthly payments before that, but there were instances where I was not always on time with my payments. 🙁
Hello Rog,
It sounds like you would qualify as long as the school is a public school like you said. Also you would need to be in either the IBR or ICR repayment for your payments to qualify. Deferred months will not count, and I do not think late payments will count either. Your consolidation would need to be the Direct Consolidation program as well.
I have been employed with the a public social service agency for 23 years. I borrowed 15,000.00 and still currently owe 14,000.00 after repaying 21,000.00. i have been in default. Are there any programs available for public servants who do not have 10 years of consecutive payments. I feel i will NEVER gets this paid. i do not qualify for income sensitive repayment. Do you have any suggestions?
Hello Ginnie,
Your payments do not need to be consecutive. Its 120 months of qualifying payments, not necessarily ten years. Those 120 months can be paid in 15 years for example. Are you sure you do not qualify for an income based repayment? Are you in the Direct Loan program? The Standard ten year payments also count, but in that case your loans would simply be paid off in ten years anyhow unless you qualify for IBR/ICR for some period in between.
I am on SSD and work a part time job…. no one told me about IBR until recently… My loan provider just approved me at 0 per month because my income is so low. When I worked at a state agency several years back, I made consistent monthly payment on time, however, it was a different loan provider then (as they sell loans ). Are you saying that they will count those payments that I made when I was able to work full time?
Thanks
It would depend on how your loan payments were structured at that time. You have to be in the Direct Loan program, and you must be making IBR/ICR payments or Standard 10 year payments. So if you were in the standard repayment plan but the term was more than 10 years, then those payments would not count. Take a look at this page it has all the information you need.
t wondering if these forgiveness loans are for teachers in the preschool field. I have taught in a preschool classroom since 2004. I have loans that I just can not afford to pay. I live pay check to pay check. I know there are resources out there to help you, but they have a fee also. If I could pay $700 for the service why would I need them when I could be making a monthly payment. If I had $700.00 I could pay something. I want the help but I do not have the money for the fee to get the help and no I cannot borrow the money from someone because to me that is another debt (that was a suggestion given to me by the representative on the phone). Why does it cost so much money to obtain your degree? Why is it fair that you do not receive your degree when you have graduated? This whole system is messed up. The people really suffering are the ones that are underneath the ones on top because they make all the money and they make all the decisions. Will things really ever change?
You would likely qualify for the public sector loan forgiveness program, but you need to be in a direct loan and in an income based or income contingent repayment plan. You can enroll into the program on your own, no fee is necessary. If you want to hire a company such as Student Debt Relief to work on your behalf, expect to pay a service fee. If you cant afford to pay someone I would suggest you visit the Student Aid website and give it a shot on your own. Our pricing is here (not $700 you must have contacted another company)
I am trying to find away to pay my loans back,but I make less than 800.00 a month.I live in a transitonal shelter and the job is a temp job.please tell me what i need to do so my check dont get garnish
Dana you want to enroll into the William D Ford program so your loans would be illegible for the Income Based Repayment. You would have a payment of zero, and your loans would be taken out of default. Once your loans are being garnished you wont be able to do this any longer. Give your loan servicer a call for assistance, or you can call Student Debt Relief if you prefer someone to help and represent you.
I am a public school teacher, not teaching in a district for underprivileged or underserved. Just a regular public school, and not early childhood. It seems that I am not eligible for PLSF. I don’t understand it. Isn’t being a public school teacher considered public service. Or am I eligible?
Henry your job does qualify for PSLF. Now it would depend on your loans and repayment plan.
I graduated in 1995 and immediately began repaying my student loans which I consolidated with the SC Student Loan Corporation. I have had to put the loan in deferment several times due to hardship, but for the most part, have paid on the loans. Now it is 2013 and I still owe appx. $12,000 on this loan. I have paid back more than I originally borrowed and still have a way to go. I went to college late in life and became a teacher. Now I am retired and 73 years of age. I live on SS and Veterans benefits. I have a very hard time meeting this loan payment every month. Is there any hope for me?
Hello Judith,
Depending on what your repayment plan is, and what consolidation you are in, all those years working in the public sector could count to your forgiveness. I suggest you give us a call or go to our Public Sector Loan Forgiveness page to see if you qualify. Also based on your income, you would likely qualify for a zero payment on your student loans. I would also visit our repayment quote calculator to see what your monthly payment could be under the income based or income contingent repayment plan.
I’ve been scammed by Direct Loans. Been paying under public service plan for almost two years. Today I find out only 8 payments qualify so far. Somehow multiple payments are showing up as PENNIES short of the payment due and therefore not counting as a qualifying payment. Why would I make a payment 9 cents short of what was due?? More than once?? Be warned!!! I’m livid!!
Stacy, sorry to hear that but I cannot say I am surprised. We hear so many stories similar to yours on a daily basis, people fed up with their servicers and getting the run around. We actually had someone call us who had been paying $109 on his loan every month, and only $15 was being applied, FOR YEARS. Your issue seems like its one that could be easily confirmed. Can you take a look at your previous statements through your servicers website, and then check your bank account statement to see what exactly was paid during those periods?
Is it possible for something to happen like this with FedLoans as your servicer? I am participating in IBR while working towards my 120 payments for PSLF. I believe my IBR payment is equal to the amount of interest I accrue…I won’t later be told that I wasn’t paying anything on my principal and don’t qualify for PSLF, will I?
IBR payments count towards your 120 months regardless if they are only going to interest or interest and principal. You should be fine Alexis. Keep making IBR payments working full time at a qualifying job. You must also have direct loans as well. Did you check that??
Yes, they are all direct loans, and I’ve already applied to the PSLF program and have received confirmation that my loans and employment qualify. Thanks for your help. Alexis
I entered the program when I began teaching and paid my student loans via income based repayment. After getting married and filing income taxes jointly, I re-certified my payment plan as fedloans.gov told me to. I was told that I was no longer eligible for the income based repayment since my joint income with my husband was too much. My payment was going to be $500 more a month! I called them and they told me that the only payment options that I had that would allow loan forgiveness after 10 years were either $600/month or $630/month. I asked them how much I’d actually have remaining after 10 years to be forgiven if I went on that plan. Their answer: nothing! It’s unfortunate that I am unable to participate in this program because I am married and a contributing member of society. I ended up going with the cheapest possible option and will pay $200 a month for the next 20-25 years.
Yes part of the public service loan forgiveness program is that you have to be in the income based or income contingent repayment plan, which means if your income is high the payments will be high as well. This does make it more favorable for those with lower incomes, but don’t forget they still have to be full time employees for a public entity. Some people choose to file separately to reduce their adjusted gross income to be able to take advantage of the PSLF program.
I think it’s a little ridiculous that they count my husband’s salary as well. I am in a similar situation where I was paying a very low amount (all I could afford anyway) and then when we got married that all changed. I didn’t even know him when I was in school. I tried to explain that this was my own obligation and he had nothing to do with it and he isn’t able to help pay for my loans…so they are basically causing our whole budget to burst. My payment went up so much that it is frightening. I just wish they would have told me this-for some reason I didn’t even think of it. I’m usually very good at babysitting and knowing what I’m doing when it comes to this repayment business so I’m really angry at myself for not seeing the fine print sooner. Now I have to do that 10 year thing as well. However, I’m going to be filing separately next year as a result. There should be something that grandfathers you from this-had school loans before you got married (like well before)? Okay-decide whether you will pay as an individual, since you as an individual made the decision to take out the loans.. and/or maybe your husband won’t mind and will help. The problem with my situation is that he takes care of the brunt of the expenses. I don’t make enough in my current positions to help a lot-now everything I make will have to go to the loan until I can get them to see me as an individual. UGH. So frustrating. I would also recommend, however, that you look into this if you are a teacher: https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/charts/teacher#who-is-considered
I feel like I’m being punished for getting an education and not coming from a wealthy family. I’m moving to Norway lol.
Hi. Does filing your income taxes separately relieve your husband from contributing to your student loan debt? I owe $110 k and haven’t been able to find a job. I’ve been on loan forbearance and deferments for 2 years now. I lose sleep wondering how I will pay this back. I was thinking about becoming a head start teacher, then filing taxes separately from my husband, then repaying based on my income for ten years… Any suggestions
If your husband co-signed on the loans, then no. If you are in an IBR/ICR repayment plan then the only use your husbands income if you file jointly. So it really depends on your situation. Filing separately will help if he didn’t co-sign and you are in the IBR/ICR repayment plan.
Does this apply to the spouse of the worker in the private sector?
No it does not, only for the loan holder.
I am graduating from my master’s program this month and am in the process of founding a sensory facility for children with special needs. It is a for-profit company, but it does provide services specifically for children with disabilities. Would this type of employer permit me to qualify for the PSLF program? I’m finding mixed results online. Some say only non-profits qualify, while others include for-profits for specific purposes/audiences.
A 501c3 will qualify, along with other non-profits in certain fields. Since you work in a for-profit, it would not qualify.
My husband is a fire fighter and co-signed on most of my loans. Will this cover my loan and will it cover private student loans also?
Private student loans are not eligible for federal benefits, of which the PSLF program is one. So no to that. Also, its not the co-signer who must work in the public sector, but the borrower. So it would need to be you working in the public sector to qualify for PSLF.
I am a police officer and was just advised that my wages are about to be garnished. I have over 100, 000 in school loans, marries,3 children, car payments, and a house note. Is there any programs out there that can assist me?
I am a police officer and was just advised that my wages are about to be garnished. I have over 100, 000 in school loans, married,3 children, car payments, and a house note. Is there any programs out there that can assist me?
Eric have you checked to see how much your payment would be in the income based program or pay as you earn? These take into account cost of living expenses and give you a payment based on your income and the poverty level for your family size. I would try to do what you can to prevent the wage garnishment, start a rehabilitation plan if necessary. Then I would consolidate into the Direct Loan program and into one of the income based programs.
I was a teacher for two years and have been a paid professional firefighter for the past 5. I applied for this forgiveness program a year ago and last month I discovered I didn’t cross my “t’s” and dot my “i’s”, and now I’m being to I have to start the process all over again, still facing 120 payments before my loan is forgiven. I need some help. I would like to at least have the last year of payments retroactively added. I’m tired and frustrated. My career will never pay off my loans….
Luis unfortunately the truth is that the programs are overly complicated and unless you spend a fair amount of hours reading and researching, you will likely not qualify for PSLF. If you are not sure what needs to be done, give us a call and we can assist you.
Hi,
So my wife has student loans which we have been paying consistently and with no gaps over the past decade or so — so the question is this — we consolidated sometime back and are not in any sort of income sensitive program — but both of us work for the University of Chicago and have for some time — I assume that we are not eligible but wanted to check.
Oh I meant eligible for the forgiveness after 10 years.
Yes, you would need to be in one of the income sensitive repayment plans as well as the correct consolidation (Direct Loan) to qualify for PSLF.
I have a few questions as well. (1) I’m currently a full time (2yrs) and an adjunct community college instructor (3yrs) do I qualify? (2) If I qualify how many years must I have worked to fit the requirement? (3) Do I have to file under the Direct Loan company to ensure that my application would be verified? (4) if I do not qualify are there any additional loan forgiveness programs that I could be apart of?
Renee, you would need to be full time (30+) hours a week at a public organization or a non-profit 501c3. You also need to be in the Direct Loan program as well as in one of the income driven payment plans. That’s for the PSLF program, but you may also want to take a look at Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Give us a call if you need assistance.
Renee,
I’m an adjunct and I work for three schools. Part time does count unless the schools are for profit. Of the three, two are non profit so I can use my hours. I had both HR offices fill out the employment verification and put 15 hours for each, totaling 30 hours a week (minimum qualification with hours). We all know we work way way more than 30 hours, but I just needed them to verify whatever the minimum was…I can’t punch a time clock while I’m grading papers at home. I qualified for the PSLF program because I worked for public/non profit schools. As long as you can verify that you worked 30 hours (either at one place or a combination) you qualify (that’s what I did).
On the Federal Student Loan website it states that in order to qualify for income based repayments you must have a partial financial hardship. What does that mean? Also, if you were to marry someone who had a higher income would this repayment option be cancelled?
The partial financial hardship essentially means you would have to have a Standard 10 year payment higher than your IBR payment. If your Standard 10 years is higher than your IBR, you would qualify. I am not sure if you later marry, if they would remove you from the IBR. I do know that your payment would go up if you file jointly. You could avoid this by filing married separate.
I have a student loan and its taking forever to pay. i work at a group home assisting special needs clients with daily life. does this qualify as a public service job? Just curious i dont wanna miss out on any help with repaying this loan that has been a hardship.
I have been teaching for 20 years and have been paying my student loans – struggling to pay for many many years. Five years ago I started paying more than what is required so I could try to get them paid before I retired from teaching – still struggling to pay. I talked to the Federal Student Aid about the Public Servicing Loan Forgiveness Program and they said I qualified, BUT BECAUSE I DID NOT CONSOLIDATE MY LOANS WITH THEM, my 120 payments would have to start when I consolidated with them! (Otherwise, IF I would have consolidated with them, I would have qualified starting in 2007 and had them paid off in 2017 – ten years later – BUT, now I won’t be able to have them paid until 2024!) It seems SO UNFAIR that just because I consolidated with American Education Services, I do not qualify for the years 2007 – 2014 (now). Is there ANYTHING that I can do – it is soooo frustrating!
How can I find out how many payments I’ve made qualify? I’m currently serviced by Sallie Mae and have been using the IBR repayment plan. My loan was serviced by another company before Sallie Mae and I can’t remember which one! Is there a way to track all of this information down?
Nathania, give your lender a call and they should be able to help you with that. If you need assistance you could give us a call as well.
Hi,
My husband has been a police officer for a year and half. We are having a hard time qualifying for a mortgage due to his student loans. He owe 12,000 with Salle mae, 5,564 with American Education Service, and over 40,000 with great lakes. We are married, two kids, and two car notes…can he get his loans forgiven being a police officer, if not what other options do he have?
Dominique your husband may qualify for the public service loan forgiveness program. Take a look at this link to see if you qualify
https://www.studentdebtrelief.us/public-service-loan-forgiveness-qualification/
If I am a Special Education Preschool teacher in a public, high needs school, do I qualify for loan forgiveness?
Thank you!
It sounds like you would Melissa but there are other qualifiers as well. Take a look at our PSLF Qualification Questionnaire form to see. Also take a look at the teacher loan forgiveness page.
I have an existing consolidated loan through Sallie Mae that I am currently paying… and I have 2 direct loans that are in a grace period that will end soon. I want to go to studentloans.gov and consolidate all of my loans so I have just one bill to pay. When taking out my direct loans for my graduate degree I had to enter my wife’s information as well as mine to determine what type of aid I was able to receive. My employment is NOT public service and I don’t teach enough hours for the non profit to qualify for loan forgiveness….However my wife does work for the government in public service for 40 hrs a week. My question is, if my wife works for public service and I consolidate and make the 120 payments can that qualify for loan forgiveness?
If the loans are in your name, then it would need to be your employment that qualifies for the forgiveness. Likely they wanted your spouses information just for the repayment plan of IBR/ICR or PAYE.
The reason why most aren’t taking advantage is because most aren’t public service employees. Does the writer of this article seriously think it makes sense for the entire US population to become government employees?
Government jobs have always been attractive because of benefits and the low work hours and high job security. It usually requires cronyism to land one of those jobs.
This program is stupid. Government workers are so absurdly entitled that they consider it punishment to actually have to pay back what they owed, instead laughing at us taxpayers covering the bill for them, on top of covering their salaries in the first place.
They need to cancel this program.
Public service does NOT = government workers. A registered nurse working in an emergency department in a low income county qualifies for this (me). Low work hours? Ha. My coworkers and I work 40-80 hours per week. Entitled is the word I would use for many of the patients we care for, not the hard working nurses sweating their balls off to save lives. I’m paying $800/month in student loans. This program will allow me to buy a house and have a family some day.
The reason people aren’t taking advantage of this is because people don’t KNOW about it.
I am getting my masters degree in Public Health. Would a career in that field qualify for the PSLF program?
It would depend on who is your employer. If its a public sector job, then yes it would. If its a registered 501c3 then yes it would. If its a private for profit, then it would not. There are other qualifiers as well such as what type of loans you have, which repayment plans, etc.
I have spent many hours on the phone trying to figure out a way to pay my student loans and my husband’s student loans. We have around 150K in student loan debt. We are both teachers. I did not mind consolidating with Direct as that made perfect sense; however, the payments they required for these 120 consecutive payments were completely insane. Their income sensitive payment for our loans was OVER $925 a MONTH!!! I don’t pay that for my rent….I wish I could say I have a mortgage, but because of the student loan debt, we have been unable to find a mortgage company that will even consider financing a home for us. Funny how we borrowed the money to further our education (2 bachelors degrees, 2 masters degrees, and a Ph.D.), yet we live in someone else’s home and budget every penny every month to pay the student loans back. Chances are, people KNOW about the student loan forgiveness, but they are like us and physically can not afford to participate in this crazy program. And it isn’t a true “forgiveness” program either because we were told that we would actually pay off our loan debt at the end of the 120 payments and there would be no further debt to forgive. It is just an expedited way to get their money back…I don’t really see it as helping anyone.
Hi Jamie,
I’m a veterinarian married to another veterinarian. Together we have over $400,000 in student debt. Our total monthly loan payments are about $500/month in income based repayment (IBR). I work with veterinarians on this exact topic to help them manage their debt and navigate the the details of these plans. I would encourage you to apply for Income-Based Repayment rather than Income Sensitive Repayment. Income sensitive repayment is an earlier iteration that has largely been made obsolete by IBR. You would qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness under IBR (if you work for a qualifying organization) and your monthly payments would be much lower.
Hi,
I am a Police Officer and I have $80k in loan debt. I am engaged to a public school nurse, who works as an ER nurse part-time to help pay for her $100k educational debt. I have just consolidated my loans with Direct loans and after reading the previous commentary, I see that I have to apply for the IBR and make 120 consecutive payments. My questions are: what else would I need to do to have my loan forgiven and once I get married, would I still qualify for this program since me and my fiancé are both public servants?
Thanks
Hi Tony. You would still qualify once you are married, but only on your loans. Your wife would need to qualify separately for hers, but since she is only working part time she would not currently qualify. You need to be working minimum 30+ hours per week to apply for PSLF. If your loans are in the Direct Loan program and in IBR, then your payments will count. So it sounds like you are on the right path, but not your fiancé.
I am a college instructor and teach dual enrollment classes in local public schools. I have approx. 85K in loans due to being stupid and taking doctoral classes at Walden University online.
Would I qualify for any forgiveness programs?
If your employment at the public school is over 30 hours per week, then your employment would qualify but there are other factors as well. Type of loans, repayment plans, etc. Here’s a good place to start for PSLF.
I work at a private not-for-profit college 501(c)(3) do i qualify for pslf?? Full time and Consolidated Direct Loans.
Who should be able to confirm if I am officially approved for pslf? Servicer says the college should?
You also need to have an income sensitive payment plan. Your options to get started are
1. Work with your lender (they have already given you incorrect information, your employer does not do this for you)
2. Apply on your own without anyones assistance
3. Hire a private company such as ourselves to qualify you and prepare all the necessary documentation for you.
Does working at a private not-for-profit college qualify for public service loan forgiveness?
It should. Here is the actual information from the department of education:
A private not-for-profit employer that is not a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC may be a qualifying public service organization if it provides certain specified public services. These services include emergency management, military service, public safety, or law enforcement services; public health services; public education or public library services; school library and other school-based services; public interest law services; early childhood education; public service for individuals with disabilities and the elderly. The organization must not be a labor union or a partisan political organization.
I work for a Mutual Non-Profit Health Insurance Company. I called my lender, and the Federal Loan Service number and they both said I should be eligible no problem, just complete the application. I emailed my HR and asked if she could complete the form and she said no our company is not eligible. I went back and asked why, she said that someone asked a year ago and her manager said we don’t participate. I’m pretty frustrated. I would understand if my company didn’t qualify, but I would like an explanation. Is there any way to tell if a company is eligible without filling out an application? I think I need more information to take to my employer.
Nicole this is very unfortunate. Your employer does not choose to either participate or not. This is a federal program that is offered to EVERYONE who qualifies, regardless of what your employer says. It sounds like they simply do not know about the program, and want to avoid the hassle of learning about it. If you bring the form to your employer, they simply need to complete it to verify your employment. The Department of Education would take a look at the company to verify if they are a non-profit and if your employment type qualifies. By them refusing to complete the form for you, it could deprive you of benefits that you have rights to receive by law. I would suggest you educate them a bit, explain this is a FEDERAL program that you are applying for, and that they need to verify your employment to qualify for these benefits. There is no list of eligible companies. If they are a private non-profit and your employment type qualifies, they are included. They should be educating their employees about the program, probably others others qualify as well, and this would be a BENEFIT of employment with that company. Instead they are pushing you away, very unfortunate.
I work for the U.S. Department of Justice for 10 years, and owed less than half of the original amount of the loan. I was on deferment for a while, and made 3 loan sump payments that lower my loan. I do not think I have made 120 consecutive payments. Do I still qualify? Please advise.
Fernando there are too many variables to know whether you qualify or not. I suggest you give us a call to go over all the qualifications, or you can read this page that has additional information on the program.
Are spouses of law enforcement eligible? Also, what type of non profits are eligible?
Larry, the loan holder must be the one working in the public sector. Any 501(c)(3) non-profit would qualify.
I am a retired Police Officer. I worked for 15 years before a work related neck injury and subsequent surgery forced the job to retire me. Do I qualify for loan forgiveness?
John it doesnt sound like it. You would need to be in the direct loan program, with an IBR/ICR payment from 2007-2017 while you are working in the public sector. You may qualify for some other benefits like a reduced payment, interest forgiveness, but not public service loan forgiveness unless you work currently in a non-profit.
I have been paying on my student loan ince the early 90’s. I am ready to retire from teaching. Do / will I qualify for any loan forgiveness?
John if you have direct loans, and have been in the IBR/ICR payment plan since 2007, then you may possibly qualify for forgiveness in 2017. Otherwise, a lot depends on your loans for teacher loan forgiveness qualification.
Forgot to add:
after retirement from the public schools
Hi. I have a question about qualifying employment. I understand that private, not-for-profit companies that engage in “public health” would qualify. Would that include a managed care organization such as a health insurance company like Blue Cross Blue Shield or Kaiser Permanente? They are certainly a huge component of the health care industry, even while not being a direct provider themselves. The application did say “healthcare support” functions were included. I just don’t know if that would only be referring to strictly non-clinical personnel at a healthcare facility (like a hospital) or whether it would also include other non-provider-based companies like health insurance providers. Thinking of taking a job but do not want to lose out on the loan forgiveness. Any advice would be truly appreciated.
John those companies you listed are for-profit, no?
I’d like to further explain the first question…Blue Cross Blue Shield is the name that a lot of insurance companies work under but for example, Louisiana Indeminity is considered a not for profit but they do business under the name Blue Cross Blue Shield of LA.
Ugh. I just found out that the loans I have been paying for the past three years (thought they were direct) were not covered. I just moved to consolidate. I owe roughly 67,000 and now need to start over.
Also – I added another loan (from my undergrad) for 2,700 that only had an interest rate of 3.5%. Maybe I should have paid that one off separately instead of adding it in? I don’t know.
What if I don’t stay at my nonprofit job for 10 years?
It seems an odd balance to find to keep a low paying job (that I don’t really love) to have loan forgiveness in ten years OR to take a higher paying job (assuming I could even find one) and just pay off all that debt. UGH!
Yeah we hear that a lot Sarah, people think they are on their way to the 10 year forgiveness but are not. Adding your loan is fine, you do not lose that interest rate. The consolidation takes a weighted average of all your interest rates, so it remains pretty much exactly the same. If you dont stay at the non-profit, then you will lose the 10 year forgiveness if your new job isn’t a qualifying one. My advice is always try to take the higher paying job, with a brighter future.
Hi, I have two questions. 1) if my loan servicer switched providers, does this in any way affect my progress toward PSLF? 2) I’m on IBR. When I first started repaying, my monthly payments due were $0. Do these “payments” of $0 still count toward PSLF? Thank you!
Keri, switching loan servicers should not have an effect on your PSLF as long as the loans didnt change and are qualifying loans. In the IBR a zero payment can count to PSLF as long as the other requirements are met (full time, qualifying organization, loans types, etc).
Thank you! I’m sorry; the more I read up on this, the more questions I seem to have. It says that when you submit the employment certification form, all of your loans will be transferred to FedLoan Servicing (PHEAA). Once it is transferred, 1) If I have a separate Perkins Loan that I pay on, will PHEAA then consolidate that with my existing Direct Consolidation Loan and therefore make me start my 120 payments over? and 2) how do they calculate my new interest rate?
I was a single mom who used student loans to get us off of welfare (dad took a walk). My loans totaled about $40K at the time I consolidated my loans in 1996. I could not make even minimum payments for 15 years, but did have a forbearance to pay a reduced payment, which was all I could manage even on an income sensitive plan due to daycare expenses, etc. My debt total is now over $100,000, although I have never missed or been late on one of our negotiated payments.
In the last few years I have been making the required minimum payments, finally. I work in public service, and I know my job qualifies for the current forgiveness program and was thinking I’d be out from under these in another six years. I have read this evening that they are planning to make significant changes that would cap Public Service repayment forgiveness to only an amount equal to what one could have borrowed as an undergrad – which I believe is about $26,000 in aggregate total. That will, basically, be the nails in my coffin. I have been paying on these loans for almost 20 years, and it looks like it will be another 25 that they will keep asking me to pay.
I should have stayed on welfare. By getting college degree(s) I managed to disqualify the kiddos from all the “first in your family to go to college” scholarships, special tutoring programs, and an amazing amount of financial aid and other benefits they could have had. Big, big, big mistake. If I had to do it again, I think I would have preferred to have learned how to fix washing machines at a community college. The pay is way better than anything I’ve earned with my graduate education, there’s always work, and… dear Lord, I will be in my 80s by the time I’m free of these loans. Assuming they don’t change the rules and make it a longer period of time. I cannot ever own a home. My retirement income will be dicey. They are just looming there, and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Quite frankly, there are so many kids out there with college degrees that are worthless on the job market (there simply are too many of them these days) that I am advising the kiddos to do ANYTHING other than borrow for a college education.They can watch the podcasts online if they want to be educated, and having the piece of paper really doesn’t mean much unless it’s a tech field or one of the professions. Their friends are going and borrowing. The ones who have finished are working as baristas and at the same jobs they had before going. Such a racket, this is all such a racket. 🙁
Yeah, sounds like you have done everything you can as a responsible borrower to make good on the loans. Let me just say a couple things..
1. There are only talks about reducing the forgiveness amount on PSLF, and the number I hear a lot of $56k.
2. Keep going for PSLF, but double check your payments qualify. Are you in a direct loan making IBR/ICR payments and not something else negotiated with the lender?
3. In the worst case, you can get loan forgiveness after 20-25 years in the IBR. Again, make sure you have direct loans. If not, consolidate them into it.
Keep your head up, it sounds like you’ve done the best that you can do and are on the correct path even though that path is dark and scary!
If my IBR minimum payments are currently zero dollars per month, do those months qualify or do I have to make a different minimum payment?
Carolyn IBR payment qualify for PSLF regardless of the payment amount. You just have to meet the other criteria as well, for example working 30 hours per week.
Good morning,
I just heard about this program and started filling out my paperwork to attempt to get loan forgiveness. I have been a teacher in the same public school for 17 years and my wife has been working as a social worker helping the elderly in a levy funded program for roughly 15 years. We consolidated our loans years ago and have never missed a payment (in fact, when possible, we doubled the payment). I believe that our loans were of the Sallie Mae variety, and I didn’t know if those were covered in this program as well and wanted to make sure that they did before I send this stuff in. Also, I believe that the entire loan amount is in my name even though part of it was my wife’s and I wondered if that made a difference or not.
Thanks for any help you may be able to give! If this works out, I will be kicking myself for not finding it sooner! 🙂
Greg, I cannot tell you whether you qualify or not just based off the information you provided. It sounds like you both want to look into public service loan forgiveness, as well as teacher loan forgiveness for yourself. Everything you need to know are on these two pages. If you need help beyond that, you can give us a call and we can look into your situation more closely.
Demetrios – You seem so well versed on this topic. I’m hoping you can provide me with some additional insight.
My fiance is a Navy Veteran. Since he was honorably discharged from the Navy, he has received his Bachelors and is working on his JD. He has accumulated $100k in college loans. I have co-signed on $15k of those loans for law school.
He plans to consolidate his loans and work as a Public Defender which should qualify him for PSLF.
My questions:
1. Once we get married, will the IBR also use my salary to determine the monthly payment? I am well established in my career and am worried that if my salary is considered, he will not meet the debt to income ratio.
2. Can the 120 payments be consolidated into 5 years if we choose to do that? (IE…make 2 payments/month)
Thanks!
Hello Laynie,
When you are married, if you file your taxes jointly then yes your income would also be used to calculate his monthly payment. You cannot make the payment twice in one month to get the early forgiveness. Its 120 qualifying payments, which doesn’t include any extra payments being made. Sounds like you guys have a great plan, and glad to see you are ahead of the curve as far as knowing your options, etc.
Are there any type of loan forgiveness options for retired professionals? A relative of mine retired from teaching at a public 2-year college a few years ago, yet is still strapped with a significant amount of student loan debt. She went back to school later in life to earn a doctoral degree — a goal she had always wanted to achieve.
The only thing that comes to mind that might help is an income based program if she is retired and doesn’t have significant income. Forgiveness only comes after 25 years, but the payment could be very low (even $0.00) for that term.
Thank you, Demetrios! Do you happen to know the name or website of that program? Is it a federal program or state-run program? So, if I understand you correctly, her payment now until the end of Year 25 post-graduation can be even lower? I assume that’s through some sort of consolidation. However, after Year 25 (which would be 2031) her loan will be completely forgiven. What does she need to do to put that in place?
More information on the income based payment plan can be found here. Its a federal program, and she may need to consolidate her loans to be eligible for it, or she might not. Yes, payments in that program can be lower than what she currently pays but would depend completely on her income and family size. There are a few ways to help her get into the program:
1. Contact the loan servicers to check eligibility and help with enrollment into this program. They wont do the work for you, but might help point you in the right direction and help see what you are eligible for. If she has multiple lenders, she will need to do it for each one.
2. Do it yourself by self qualifying, seeing what exactly needs to be done for her individual circumstance, and she can apply on her own. She may need to change her loan types, and she might qualify for one of the income based programs but not another, etc. There are three different income based programs.
3. Contact a private company to help. Similar to hiring an accountant to complete your taxes, there are companies who help with enrollment into these programs for a fee. If you need help, give us a call. Our number is located at the top of this page.
Hope this helps!
Is there any kind of forgiveness for being a volunteer firefighter?
Not that I am aware of. How many hours a week are you volunteering?
I don’t qualify for any of these! My husband and I really need help!!!! Its not that we don’t want to pay, we cant afford to!!
Did you check your payment in the IBR program?
Is there an organization that can evaluate your student loan debt and help you decide what is the best way to get them forgiving?
Jean, yes there is. Call (561)424-6053.
I am a volunteer firefighter also and I donate about 5 to 10 hours a week would there be anything available for me
Must be full time and paid by the public service employer. 30 hours a week is a minimum.
My son and fiancée both work for state of NC. My son is in department of corrections and she is a recreational therapist. They are have been making payments regularly but it’s getting more difficult. Is there a loan forgiveness program out there for them. In particular for my son’s SallieMae loans. If not, is there reduced interest refi available for persons in their field. We have already tried banks with “come ons” to refi.
Yes, they could possibly qualify for the public service loan forgiveness program. Have them take a look at this page. In this program their loans could be forgiven in 10 years with payments based on their income. Depending on their income level, it could provide very low payments with loan forgiveness.
Would be an instructor at a state community college qualify? Under what circumstances? Do you have to teach in a “high need” area? If so, what areas qualify? Also, would being a faculty member at a state university qualify? Under what circumstances? Thank you!
As long as your employer is part of the public sector, the position of work does not matter. You would then need to meet the other qualifications (working full time, type of loans etc.)
I have applied for loan forgiveness several times with AES. I taught at title I public schools for ten years. Every time I apply they reject the forgiveness for a different reason. I have paid all loan payments on time for over ten years. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Does your rejection letter explain why you were rejected? Are you in the Direct Loan program with IBR/ICR payments? Full time public sector employee?
I have been a volunteer fireman for 4 years although I am in a job that has nothing to do with the public sector, would I qualify for any reductions?
Only if your actual employer is in the public sector and you work full time for 10 years.
I have been a Teacher Assistant for 2 years in a Title 1 school who keeps us at 29 hours (part time) to avoid having to offer us benefits/healthcare. It is extremely frustrating to me as I am not interested in the benefits or healthcare (I am covered under my husband’s) but just want that extra hour a week to put me at full time so that I qualify for Loan Forgiveness. It aggravates me to no end that, because of 1 hour, I do not qualify to have my $31,000 in loans forgiven. I must mention that I work well over my 29 hours every week. I found my calling late in life (I am 46) and would love to go back for my Masters Degree but because of the additional increase in my monthly payment by adding another student loan onto my current debt compared to the income made by teachers, this does not seem to be a smart move financially. Any suggestions??
Have you tried explaining to them that if they give you that one hour more per week you can apply for the forgiveness program? Also, provide them with the form and see if they will put that you are full time since as you say you are working more than 29 hours every week. Not sure what else you can do.
I am a financial secretary at a Title 1 school in Oklahoma. I have been employed there for 16 years. Would I qualify for a loan forgiveness program. I have not graduated from college as I was denied financial aid due to the size of my family. I had to take out 2 student loans to pay for the classes that I had already taken once I was denied aid.
Take a look at the public service loan forgiveness program. Since its a public job, you might qualify but there are other conditions.
I work for a public entity that qualifies and have for the 17 years that I have been paying back my loans consistently. I have not been in an income based repayment plan. I can not switch to one because my husband and my combined incomes makes the payment too high.
My question is why there is no pro-rated forgiveness on the years of OTHER types of payments? I would understand that I perhaps had not been paying at a maximum so would only receive a percentage of forgiveness – however, to say that the 17 years of steady payments have had NO impact is unfair. Is this being considered at all?
I am in my tenth year teaching in a Title1 school in Georgia. I received 5,000 in loan forgiveness five years ago. Will I be eligible for another 5,000 after this year?
I am in my tenth year teaching in a Title1 school in Georgia. I received 5,000 in loan forgiveness five years ago. Will I be eligible for another 5,000 after this year?
I have applied for loan forgiveness several times with AES. I taught at title I public schools for ten years. Every time I apply they reject the forgiveness for a different reason. I have paid all loan payments on time for over ten years. Any suggestions? Thank you!
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