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Understanding Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

If you work in public service or have in the past, it’s important to know about Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) — a federal program that can cancel your student loans after 10 years of qualifying service and payments.


What is PSLF?

Created in 2007, PSLF is designed for people who work full-time in qualifying public service jobs. That includes employees at government agencies (local, state, federal) and nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3)s and some others). If you make 120 qualifying monthly payments under an income-driven repayment plan while working for a qualifying employer, your remaining federal student loan balance can be forgiven — tax free.


How to Qualify for PSLF


  1. Work full-time for a qualifying public service employer.

  2. Make 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan. Typically, you will need to be enrolled in an Income Driven Repayment Plan and make your payments on-time every month. Most times of forbearance and deferment do not count, although there are exceptions.

  3. Submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form regularly to the Department of Education.

  4. Stay up-to-date and track your progress annually. There is now visible tracking available at studentaid.gov on your dashboard.


How SDS Can Help


At Student Debt Solutions, we can help you:

  • Check if your employer qualifies for PSLF.

  • Understand what repayment plan you need to be on.

  • Track your progress toward the 120 payments.

  • Prepare and submit the right documentation, including the PSLF certification form.


The PSLF program is still active, and no current rules have changed. If you’ve been working in public service or are considering it, now is a great time to confirm your eligibility and ensure you're on the right track. If you’ve had a gap in service or changed employers, that doesn’t erase the time you already earned.


You don’t have to figure this out alone — SDS is here to help, log into your account and explore your options today. 







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