U.S. Department of Education to Overhaul Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
NASW, active in coalition around strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and restoring the failed promise of loan forgiveness for public service workers, is pleased to learn that the
U.S. Department of Education (DoEd) will overhaul the PSLF program.
The changes are substantial and will result in many social workers getting student loans forgiven and/or years of public service counted toward forgiveness. It is estimated that these changes will impact well over 700,000 public service professionals. NASW is being recognized as a lead organization in this advocacy and partnership with DoEd—a partnership that will continue as they make additional reforms to PSLF. NASW submitted
comments dated September 24 to the DoEd in response to a Request for Information from DoEd regarding the PSLF program. In the letter NASW urged DoEd to use all its authorities to provide student loan debt relief for social workers and other public service professionals, including through improving the administration of the PSLF program. NASW also submitted a
memo dated September 17 to DoEd regarding student debt, the PSLF program, and the social work workforce, intended to influence newly appointed Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal.
NPR published and exclusive on October 1 on the overhaul, and some of our coalition partners [including the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC)] participated in this
60 Minutes PSLF program story on October 3. This
October 6 New York Times article also provides information on the changes.