Do you have federal student loans? Have you been thinking about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)? Have you encountered problems interacting with that program?
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program forgives the remaining balance on federal Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer.
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a temporary, but significant waiver to PSLF program rules. The waiver, called the “Limited PSLF Waiver,” allows those borrowers who had the wrong type of loans or payments to get credit for those past periods. The waiver is available to borrowers until October 31, 2022. You can learn more about the waiver and if it applies to you here. If you previously applied for PSLF and were denied because of your loan type, we encourage you to try again.
Here are some of the key improvements available under the Limited PSLF Waiver:
- Borrowers can receive credit for past periods of repayment on loans that would otherwise not qualify for PSLF. If you have Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), Perkins loans, or other federal student loans, you will need to consolidate your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan to qualify for PSLF both in general and under the waiver. Before consolidating, make sure to check to see if you work for a qualifying employer using the PSLF Help Tool. Elon University is a qualifying employer.
- Past periods of repayment will now count whether or not you made a payment or made that payment on time for the full amount due on a qualifying repayment plan.
The waiver is available to borrowers until October 31, 2022. To take advantage of the waiver, you need to:
1. Register for an FSA ID at StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account if you do not already have one.
2. Have or get Direct Loans (including through loan consolidation). You can consolidate your loans if you need to at StudentAid.gov/consolidation.
3. Submit a PSLF form to certify employment for PSLF that you want credit for through the waiver. You can generate a PSLF form at StudentAid.gov/pslf. In the PSLF Help Tool, it is important to use the appropriate Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). In searching for our institution, please use the following, EIN 56-0532303, Elon University, 100 Campus Drive, Elon, NC 27244. After the PSLF Help Tool gives you a PDF, please sign and date the form and submit it to the Office of Human Resources for completion.
There’s no specific application for the waiver. Once borrowers have submitted PSLF forms and/or consolidated into the Direct Loan program, they will be automatically opted in and receive forgiveness if they qualify or an increased qualifying payment count.
Remember: this opportunity is time sensitive. Some borrowers will need to consolidate their loans and/or submit a PSLF form. It’s important for you to take the steps necessary to qualify for the Limited PSLF Waiver before October 31, 2022. Learn more about the Limited PSLF Waiver at StudentAid.gov/PSLFWaiver.
If you have additional questions or need more information, please contact Chanece Bigelow, HR assistant, at cbigelow@elon.edu or 336-278-5560.