Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The Issue

Under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), federal student loan borrowers employed by government agencies, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or other nonprofit organizations that provide public library services or school library services, are eligible to have their federal student loan balance forgiven after making 10 years of qualifying loan payments. Many library workers meet the employer eligibility criteria for the program.

Resources for Borrowers

Recent News

Recent Advocacy

  • Comments to Department of Education urging improvements to PSLF program, including inclusion of private contract librarians, rule clarifications (August 12, 2022)
  • Coalition letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging the Dept. of Ed. to ensure all Public Service Loan Forgiveness program changes are retroactive (September 22, 2021)
  • Coalition letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona uging a review of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (April 12, 2021)
  • Coalition letter to Congressional leadership advocating for public service loan forgiveness to be part of COVID-19 relief (April 16, 2020)
  • Coalition letter to Congress about preserving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (November 12, 2017)

Temporary Waiver (Closed October 2022)

In October 2021, the Education Department announced changes to PSLF, including a limited waiver that applies retroactively. During the waiver period, past payment that would not otherwise count toward PSLF will be made eligible and borrowers who previously would not have qualified for PSLF may now qualify. Borrowers had to submit necessary paperwork by Oct. 31, 2022, when the waiver ended. The waiver can apply to borrowers with any number of relevant payments, including those who have not yet made 10 years of payments.

Coalition

ALA participates in the PSLF Coalition.

Staff Contact Information

Kevin Maher
Deputy Director, Public Policy & Advocacy
kmaher@alawash.org