Policy Updates

Long before the issue of student debt dominated national headlines, the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) have been working to address the crushing weight of the student debt crisis. We both have a long and proud history of fighting for borrowers. In 2019, we shed light on the thousands of social workers and other public service workers who were falling through the cracks of the broken student loan system and pushed further away from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) relief they were entitled to under federal law. Our efforts led to the historic PSLF Waiver in 2021, which ...

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Information from NASW coalition partner, the National Consumer Law Center

Starting May 1, 2024 the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) repayment program will be transitioning servicing from MOHELA to the Department of Education’s StudentAid.gov platform. During this transition from May 1, 2024, through July 31, 2024, all processing of forms and other PSLF information will be paused.

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Information from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Many student loan borrowers have an opportunity to receive full student loan cancellation or more credit towards cancellation. The U.S. Department of Education will conduct a one-time adjustment this summer, but you may need to take steps to qualify.

The deadline to act is April 30, 2024. Here’s what you need to know; this information is also available as a printable flyer from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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On November 8, 2023, the Senate Finance Committee advanced key social work priorities as part of the Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act, which passed out of committee. NASW thanks Chairman Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Crapo (R-ID) for holding the markup and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), our longtime champions and sponsors of the Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2023 (S. 838) for making sure provisions of the bill were included in the markup.

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NASW applauds the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for allowing clinical social workers (CSWs) to receive Medicare reimbursement for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) services beginning January 2024 through its Physician Fee Schedule final rule (https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-24184.pdf on page 547).

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On August 22, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan to help student loan borrowers lower their monthly student loan payments.

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Although the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2023, struck down President Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 of federal student debt for 40 million borrowers, the Department of Education’s (ED) July 14 Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Account Adjustment announcement and President Biden’s June 30 “Plan B” response to the Court’s ruling offer alternative ways to cancel and reduce student debt.

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H.R. 3073/S. 1452, the bipartisan Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2023 (CMWRA), is a landmark bill that will fund community-led initiatives that use a public health approach to prevent and heal mental health problems caused by toxic stresses, emergencies, and disasters.

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Proposed Student Debt Cancellation

In August of 2022, President Biden announced a new student loan debt relief program that would provide eligible student loan borrowers with up to $20,000 in debt cancellation for Pell Grant recipients, and up to $10,000 in cancellation for non-Pell Grant recipients. However, ongoing lawsuits put the program on hold.

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Nearly 100 social workers from 44 states and two U.S. territories attended 143 meetings with Congressional offices in the U.S. House and Senate on June 28, 2023, to build bipartisan support for key federal legislation that will assist the social work workforce, our clients, and communities.

Read the story on Social Work Blog

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