Applying for PSLF? Federal Higher Ed Leaders Have a Guide
By Hugh T. Ferguson, NASFAA Senior Staff Reporter
While the Department of Education (ED) continues to encourage eligible borrowers to make use of temporary waivers aiming to streamline the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, federal officials are looking to provide additional resources to students seeking out the available benefit.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who serves as chairman of the House Education and Labor committee, recently hosted a detailed webinar with Federal Student Aid (FSA) and the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) to walk students through the process of attaining student loan relief through PSLF.
The discussion covered a number of short-term regulatory changes to the program and sought to underscore that the program is meant to help previously denied applicants work through the process.
Scott also used remarks to criticize the previous administration’s implementation of the PSLF program and argued that former department heads did not “faithfully” implement the program or “meaningfully” address borrower concerns over their application status.
“The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was not designed to be a puzzle or a contest,” Scott said, citing the program’s high denial rate during the Trump administration. “It was designed as a tool to recruit talented people into public service and recognize their contribution to our communities.”
Additional webinars are scheduled to be offered to borrowers, with SBPC hosting another webinar on May 11 to highlight updates to the PSLF program, guidance on how to navigate the new process, and to give participants an opportunity to ask questions about accessing debt relief.
Publication Date: 5/9/2022
David S | 5/9/2022 5:57:59 PM
Thank you Congressman Scott. But it's a lot to wade through and not all of this applies to every potential PSLF applicant. I think what would be more helpful for borrowers would be a series of short videos on specific PSLF topics...how to apply, what's happened during the repayment pause, what to do if you were previously rejected but now might qualify, the waiver, etc.
Far be it from me to assign tasks to NASFAA, but...I'd add the links to my office's website and make sure students knew about them.
You must be logged in to comment on this page.