If you’ve been following the most recent news on student loans, then you probably know about the Biden-Harris administration’s approval to cancel $8.7 billion in student loans. This student loan forgiveness discharges loans for approximately 455,000 borrowers.
This news comes with the fact that another $5.8 billion in student loans will be canceled by the administration. The act is, by far, the single largest student loan cancellation during Biden’s term.
If you find these highlights interesting, then you might be wondering “How can I get student loan forgiveness?”
How To Get Student Loan Forgiveness
Students who are under the employment of a U.S. federal, state, tribal, or local government agency could be eligible to apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Those who are employed by a not-for-profit organization might also be qualified.
This program is designed to forgive the remaining balance of qualified students to help these individuals with their debts. However, they can only apply for the PSLF program after they have made at least 120 qualifying monthly payments under an approved repayment plan. They should also have made these repayments while working as a full-time worker for a qualifying employer.
How To Qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Besides being employed by an approved government and non-profit organization, students must also meet the following to qualify for the PSLF program:
- Must be working full-time for the organization or agency
- Must have Direct Loans or have consolidated other federal student loans into one Direct Loan
- Must repay their loans via an income-driven repayment plan
- Must have made 120 qualifying payments
You can ensure that you’re following the right process by submitting a Public Service Loan Forgiveness form. This should be done yearly or whenever you decide to change employers.
The Federal Student Aid office will use the information you’ve provided on the form to notify you if you are making PSLF payments that qualify with their requirements — helping determine if you’re on the right track.
Which Employers Are Applicable for PSLF?
The qualifying employment to apply for the PSLF program doesn’t depend on a specific job done for an employer. It is instead based on the specific employer.
These are the types of organizations that can let you qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program:
- All government agencies at any level (from tribal to federal) including the United States military
- Any not-for-profit organization that is exempted from taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
Conclusion
Students should rejoice knowing that the Biden-Harris administration has recently enacted student loan cancellations that benefit specific groups of student borrowers. However, this targeted student loan forgiveness isn’t the same as a wide-scale student loan cancellation.
Two types of student loan borrowers can qualify for this loan forgiveness: those who fall under total and permanent disability and borrower defense to repayment. This should, at least, answer most questions that revolve around “How can I get student loan forgiveness” for now.
Although there’s a possibility that President Biden may enact a wide-scale student loan cancellation soon, the chances for this are slim. Experts believe that the President will continue to focus on making targeted student loan forgiveness easier for qualified borrowers.
