Do you want to find out how to get student loan forgiveness? Well, if you don’t work in public service, then this article is for you! A few different programs allow borrowers who meet specific qualifications the opportunity to have their federal student loans forgiven. This post will cover these programs and explain which ones may be best for your situation.
How do you find out if you qualify for student loan forgiveness?
As far as qualifications go, there are a few different types of student loan forgiveness. So it’s essential to know which one you may qualify for before you start digging into the application process. For instance, some require that you work in public service while others don’t!
Know the difference between Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Teacher Student Loan Forgiveness, and Income-Driven Repayment Plans. As mentioned earlier, there are a few different types of student loan forgiveness that borrowers may qualify for:
- One is through public service employment, where your loans will be forgiven after making 120 payments while working in public service jobs. However, this program requires you to make these monthly payments on time every month before they’ll consider giving you any loan forgiveness!
- Another option is working in certain professions such as teaching or health care, where your federal loans can potentially get forgiven after ten years instead of 20, as other programs allow. Keep reading below to learn more about Education Department programs and how they work!
- Another thing to know is that some of these student loans you might be forgiven for may not even be federal. So, it’s essential to check with your state or school before getting too far into the process since some private lenders don’t offer forgiveness on their own.
Learn about the requirements of public service loan forgiveness and if they match your current situation.
Student loan borrowers who have a good idea of how to go about the process. If you’re on this page, then it’s likely that you want to learn more information. The first thing that borrowers need to know is what exactly qualifies as public service loan forgiveness and if their job or career fits those requirements.
The Department of Education offers multiple options for student loan forgiveness. One of the options is called public service loan forgiveness, which means that borrowers can have their loans forgiven after they work in a qualifying job for ten years. The requirements are pretty extensive, so it’s essential to understand all the details to satisfy them.
You may not think so, but you might qualify for this type of student loan forgiveness if you meet specific requirements. It’s important to note here that only direct federal loans are eligible for this type of student loan forgiveness, so if you have loans through a private lender, your parents are the ones who took out your federal loans.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
PSLF is a federal program created to help borrowers who work for qualified employers/organizations or meet other requirements, like teaching in certain types of schools and working for the government. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) On October 6, 2021, Federal Student Aid announced a limited-time waiver for the (PSLF) Program.
The purpose of this program is to encourage people with student loans to pursue potentially lower-paying jobs that serve others rather than only thinking about what they’ll get paid per hour. Plus, you could end up saving lives instead of just making money! In addition, this type of job typically doesn’t have any income cap attached – so those who work at large organizations might see their debt forgiven after years spent working there.
However, some borrowers may feel discouraged from going into public service jobs since they don’t think it’s worth it to make a lot of money when the federal government doesn’t offer forgiveness for student loans until after ten years. There are also specific qualifications that must be met to get your debt forgiven under this program – including working full-time at an eligible employer or organization and having Direct Loans (e.g., Stafford, Grad PLUS).
Here are some examples of occupations/jobs that can put borrowers on track toward receiving student loan forgiveness under this program: teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers, social workers (also known as human services), librarians, and people who work for non-profits.
Direct Loan Program
This is a type of education loan you can apply for to get help with your college expenses. To be eligible, you must have financial needs, and the school providing the degree or program has determined that you meet its criteria. The most common types of these loans are Direct subsidized and unsubsidized, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans or Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Perkins Loan Program, PLUS program for graduate students, Parent Plus Loans.
Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP)
Federal family education loans use banks and lenders to make loans. If you borrow FFELP loans, the U.S Department of Education guarantees your loans with contracts between it and the private companies that finance education loans for students or their parents; these are called “guaranty agencies.”
How to apply for student loan forgiveness?
To apply for any Education Department programs, there are some basic steps:
- First, fill out the Employment Certification Form.
- Second, after making 120 on-time payments while working in public service or meeting specific requirements through other types of repayment plans (e.g., Income-Driven Plans), submit an application with your employer/school by filling out either form 19-1998EZ if employed full-time OR forms 32 -8480B if self-employed.
- Third and finally, within sixty days, they’ll provide you with written notice about whether or not they’ve granted you forgiveness on your student loans.
Suppose you don’t work in public service or meet specific employment requirements. In that case, the Education Department will not forgive any of your federal student loan debt after 120 payments – even if it’s through an income-driven repayment plan (e.g., Income-Based Repayment). Only borrowers who work for a qualified employer/organization can get their loans forgiven under this program.
Note: The Education Department says they process these applications within thirty days. However, there have been some complaints where applicants didn’t receive any written notice within that time frame! If this happens to you, it may be best to call them instead of waiting around since there’s no telling when they’ll process your application.
In conclusion
There are several different factors that borrowers need to consider before pursuing public service student loan forgiveness. This type of job typically doesn’t have any pay raise attached to it – so if you feel like you’ll be sacrificing a higher income, then public service student loan forgiveness may not make sense for your situation.
