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Public Service Loan Forgiveness:

Questions and Answers for Federal Student Loan 

Borrowers

Contents

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................. 1

General Information ................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Eligible Loans .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Qualifying Repayment Plans................................................................................................................................................... 3

Qualifying Payments ............................................................................................................................................................... 5

Qualifying Employment ........................................................................................................................................................... 7

Application Process............................................................................................................................................................... 11

Introduction

The following questions and answers (Q&As) provide information about public service loan forgiveness. Throughout the 

Q&As, we use the following terms:

• ED refers to the U.S. Department of Education.

• We means either ED or FedLoan Servicing, the servicer that is responsible for administering the Public Service 

Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program on behalf of ED. 

• Direct Loan Program refers to the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. This program includes Direct 

Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans. Direct 

Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are sometimes called “Stafford Loans.”

• FFEL Program refers to the Federal Family Education Loan Program. This program includes Subsidized Federal 

Stafford Loans, Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, and Federal Consolidation Loans. 

No new loans have been made under this program since July 1, 2010.

• Perkins Loan Program refers to the Federal Perkins Loan Program. This program includes Federal Perkins 

Loans, National Direct Student Loans, and Defense Student Loans.

• Income-driven repayment plan refers to a repayment plan that bases your payment amount on your income 

instead of how much you owe. The following repayment plans are income-driven plans: The Revised Pay As You 

Earn Plan (REPAYE Plan), the Pay As You Earn Plan (PAYE Plan), the Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR 

Plan), and the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan).

• Loan servicer refers to the organization that collects your loan payments and completes other transactions 

related to your federal student loans. Your loan servicer may or may not be the same organization as your loan 

holder (the organization that “owns” your loans). If you are unsure who your loan servicer is, you can find this 

information using “My Federal Student Aid” at StudentAid.gov/login, or you can call the Federal Student Aid 

Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243; TTY 1-800-730-8913).
General Information

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General Information

1. What is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program?

The PSLF Program was established to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the 

remaining balance of their Direct Loans after they have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by 

a qualifying employer.

2. What are the eligibility requirements for loan forgiveness under the PSLF Program?

You must be employed full-time by a qualifying employer when you make each of the required 120 

qualifying payments on your Direct Loans, and also at the time you apply for loan forgiveness after 

making the last of those 120 payments, and when you receive loan forgiveness.

3. Are loan amounts forgiven under PSLF considered taxable by the IRS?

No. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), student loan amounts forgiven under PSLF are not 

considered income for tax purposes. For more information, check with the IRS or a tax advisor.

4. Does my income level determine eligibility for PSLF?

There is no income requirement to qualify for PSLF. However, since your required monthly payment 

amount under most of the qualifying PSLF repayment plans is based on your income, your income level 

over the course of your public service employment may be a factor in determining whether you have a 

remaining loan balance to be forgiven after making 120 qualifying payments.

5. Can I be certain that the PSLF Program will exist by the time I have made my 120 

qualifying payments?

We cannot make any guarantees about the future availability of PSLF. The PSLF Program was created 

by Congress, and Congress could change or end the PSLF Program.

Eligible Loans

6. I have federal student loans from a program other than the Direct Loan Program. Can I 

qualify for PSLF?

PSLF is available only for Direct Loans. However, if you have loans made under another federal student 

loan program, you may consolidate those loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan, which is eligible for 

PSLF. To apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan, visit StudentLoans.gov.

Note: Any payments you’ve made on your loans from other federal student loan programs before you 

consolidate them into the Direct Loan Program will not count toward PSLF, even if they were made under 

a qualifying repayment plan.

Learn more about loan consolidation at StudentAid.gov/consolidation.
Qualifying Repayment Plans

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7. I consolidated my Direct Loans after I made qualifying PSLF payments on those loans. 

Do the payments I made before consolidation still count toward PSLF?

No. Payments that you made on Direct Loans prior to consolidation do not count toward the 120 required 

payments for PSLF. You will need to make 120 qualifying payments on the new Direct Consolidation 

Loan. For this reason, if you have made qualifying PSLF payments on your Direct Loans and you are 

thinking of consolidating those loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan along with loans you received under 

other federal student loan programs, you should leave your Direct Loans out of the consolidation and 

consolidate only your loans from other federal student loan programs.

8. Are private education loans eligible for PSLF?

No. Private education loans are not eligible for PSLF and cannot be consolidated into a Direct 

Consolidation Loan.

9. Are Direct Loans that are in default eligible for PSLF?

No. Defaulted Direct Loans are not eligible for PSLF. However, a defaulted loan may become eligible for 

PSLF if you resolve the default. To learn more about getting your loan out of default, visit 

StudentAid.gov/end-default.

10.Can a joint FFEL Consolidation Loan that I obtained with my spouse be consolidated 

into a Direct Consolidation Loan so that one or both of us can qualify for PSLF?

No. The law no longer permits joint consolidation loans to be made, so joint FFEL Consolidation Loan 

borrowers may not jointly reconsolidate their FFEL Consolidation Loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan. 

In addition, a borrower may not individually reconsolidate a joint FFEL Consolidation Loan into a new 

Direct Consolidation Loan to take advantage of PSLF.

11.Are Direct PLUS Loans eligible for PSLF?

Yes. Like other Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans are eligible for PSLF. However, there are additional 

factors to consider if you are a parent who has taken out a PLUS loan.

First, your PSLF eligibility is based on your qualifying employment, not on the employment of the 

dependent student on whose behalf you borrowed. Second, PLUS loans received by parents may not be 

repaid under the income-driven plans, the repayment plans that are best for borrowers seeking PSLF. 

However, if you consolidate a PLUS loan that you took out on behalf of your child, you may then repay 

the new Direct Consolidation Loan under the ICR Plan (but not the REPAYE, PAYE, or IBR plans).

Note: PLUS loans made to graduate and professional students may be repaid under any of the incomedriven plans.

Qualifying Repayment Plans

12.What Direct Loan Program repayment plans qualify under the PSLF Program?

To count toward PSLF, payments must be made under one or more of the following repayment plans:

• Any income-driven repayment plan

• The 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan
Qualifying Repayment Plans

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• Any other plan with payments that are at least equal to the monthly payment amount you would be 

required to pay under the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan

Learn about your repayment plan options at StudentAid.gov/repay-loans-understand/plans.

13.What is the best repayment plan if I’m seeking PSLF?

An income-driven plan is your best option.

Although the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan qualifies for PSLF, it requires you to fully pay off your 

loan within 10 years (120 monthly payments). Therefore, you will not have any remaining loan balance to 

be forgiven if you make all of your 120 qualifying payments under the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan.

The 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan and other plans with payments that are equal to the 10-Year 

Standard Repayment Plan amount are included as eligible repayment plans for PSLF purposes so that 

borrowers may receive credit toward the required 120 PSLF payments for any payments they may have 

made under those plans before switching to an income-driven plan.

14.I’m repaying my Direct Consolidation Loan under the Standard Repayment Plan. Does 

that plan qualify for PSLF?

Generally, no. The Standard Repayment Plan for Direct Consolidation Loans is not the same repayment 

plan as the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan, and payments made under the Standard Repayment 

Plan for Direct Consolidation Loans do not usually qualify for PSLF purposes.

Under the Standard Repayment Plan for Direct Consolidation Loans, the maximum repayment period 

may be up to 30 years, depending on the amount of the consolidation loan and the amount of your other 

education loan debt. This longer repayment period generally results in a lower monthly payment than the 

monthly payment amount required under the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan.

If you’re seeking PSLF, the best option would be to repay your Direct Consolidation Loan under an 

income-driven repayment plan.

15.What other Direct Loan repayment plans would give me a monthly payment that is at 

least equal to the payment that would be required under a 10-Year Standard 

Repayment Plan?

Under the Graduated Repayment Plan, payments start out lower and then gradually increase, generally 

every two years. Therefore, payments made during the later portion of the repayment period under the 

Graduated Repayment Plan may in some cases equal or exceed the payment amount that would be 

required under a 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan, and these payments would count for PSLF.

16.If I’m repaying my Direct Loans under the PAYE or IBR Plan and my monthly payments 

are no longer based on my income, will my payments continue to count for PSLF?

Yes. Although you will always initially have a payment based on your income in the PAYE and IBR plans, 

under certain circumstances your monthly payment under those plans may no longer be based on 

income. However, your monthly payments will continue to qualify for PSLF if you remain on the PAYE or 

IBR plan.
Qualifying Payments

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17.I’m in the process of rehabilitating a defaulted Direct Loan. Will my rehabilitation 

payments count toward PSLF?

No. Payments made to rehabilitate a defaulted Direct Loan do not qualify for PSLF

Qualifying Payments

18.What is a qualifying payment for the PSLF Program?

To receive PSLF, you must have made 120 qualifying payments on the Direct Loans for which you are 

seeking forgiveness. A qualifying payment is a payment that was 

• made after October 1, 2007;

• received no later than 15 days after your due date;

• for the full amount due that month;

• made under a qualifying repayment plan; and

• made while you were employed full-time by a qualifying employer.

19.Do I need to make consecutive payments to qualify for PSLF?

No. The 120 payments do not have to be consecutive payments, but you must be employed by a 

qualifying employer at the time you make each payment.

20.If I pay more than my scheduled monthly student loan payment amount, can I get PSLF 

sooner than 10 years?

No. You must make 120 separate monthly payments. Paying extra will not make you eligible to receive 

PSLF sooner.

If you make a payment for more than the scheduled payment amount, the excess amount may be applied

to cover all or part of one or more future payments, unless you request otherwise. Depending on how 

much extra you pay, it’s possible that your next due date could be a month or more in the future from the 

date you made the extra payment amount. If you make subsequent payments during a period when you 

are not required to make a payment (that is, when your account is paid ahead), those payments will not

count toward PSLF.

If you request that your extra payment amount not be applied to future scheduled payments, the excess 

amount will not advance the due date of your next scheduled payment, and any subsequent monthly 

payments you make can count toward the required 120 payments.

21.If I return to school and qualify for an in-school deferment on my Direct Loans that are in 

repayment, can I decline the deferment and make qualifying PSLF payments while I’m

in school?

Yes. You may decline an in-school deferment on your loans that are in repayment status and make 

qualifying payments on those loans while you are in school. Remember, in order for your payments to 

qualify for PSLF, you must be employed full-time by a public service organization while you attend school.

Note: If you receive new Direct Subsidized Loans or Direct Unsubsidized Loans when you return to 

school, you will not be able to make qualifying PSLF payments on those loans while you are in school. 

Any new Direct Subsidized Loans or Direct Unsubsidized Loans you receive will not enter repayment until 
Qualifying Payments

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the end of the six-month grace period. Although you could voluntarily make payments on your new Direct 

Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans while you are in school or during your grace period, 

those payments would not count toward PSLF.

22.Can I waive the six-month grace period on my Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct 

Unsubsidized Loans and begin making qualifying PSLF payments early?

No. The law that governs the Direct Loan Program does not allow borrowers to waive the grace period on 

Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans. You cannot begin making qualifying PSLF 

payments until after your loans have entered repayment at the end of the grace period. Any payments 

you make on a loan during the grace period will not count toward PSLF.

However, if you want to immediately begin making qualifying payments on your federal student loans as 

soon as you leave school, you may consolidate your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan during your 

grace period and enter repayment right away.

23.I’m thinking of serving as a Peace Corps or AmeriCorps volunteer and plan to request a 

deferment or forbearance on my Direct Loans. If I’m not making payments during my 

service period, can I receive credit toward PSLF?

If you receive a deferment or forbearance during your volunteer service, you can use the transition 

payment you receive after completing your period of Peace Corps service or the Segal Education Award 

you may receive after AmeriCorps service to make a lump-sum payment on your Direct Loans. If you use 

some or all of your Peace Corps transition payment or AmeriCorps Segal Education Award to make a 

lump-sum payment on your Direct Loans, you will receive credit for up to 12 qualifying payments for 

PSLF. The number of payments for which you receive credit is determined by dividing the amount of your 

lump-sum payment by your scheduled full monthly payment amount, but you may not receive credit for 

more than 12 monthly payments toward the PSLF payment requirement. This benefit is available to you 

only one time for Peace Corps service and one time for AmeriCorps service. However, there is an 

alternative that you may want to consider.

As an alternative to receiving a deferment or forbearance during your volunteer service and then using 

your Peace Corps transition payment or Segal Education Award to make a lump sum payment on your 

loans, you could choose to not request a deferment or forbearance and instead make qualifying PSLF 

payments during your volunteer service. If you repay your Direct Loans under an income-driven plan, 

your required monthly payment is likely to be an amount that you can afford even while you are 

performing volunteer service and receiving very little income. For some borrowers, the required monthly

payment amount under one of these repayment plans may be $0.

If you do not request a deferment or forbearance and instead make payments under an income-driven

plan during your Peace Corps or AmeriCorps service, you may be able to receive credit for a larger 

number of qualifying PSLF payments than you would if you received a deferment or forbearance and then 

used your Peace Corps transition payment or Segal Education Award to make a lump-sum payment on 

your Direct Loans. This is because you can receive credit for a maximum of only 12 qualifying payments if 

you make the lump-sum payment, but each payment you make under the income-driven plan (including a 

scheduled payment amount of $0) while you are serving as a full-time Peace Corps or AmeriCorps 

volunteer counts as a qualifying PSLF payment if it meets all of the requirements described elsewhere in 

this document.
Qualifying Employment

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24.If my scheduled monthly payment under an income-driven plan is $0, does each month 

during which my payment is $0 count toward the required 120 separate, monthly 

payments?

Yes. Any month when your scheduled payment under an income-driven plan is $0 will count toward PSLF 

if you also are employed full-time by a qualifying employer during that month.

25.If I make payments more frequently than monthly (for example, twice each month, when 

I get paid), will my payments count toward PSLF?

If you make multiple partial payments that total at least your monthly payment amount, and you make 

those payments no later than 15 days after the scheduled payment due date for that month’s payment, 

the series of partial payments will count as a one qualifying payment for PSLF.

For example, if your required monthly payment is $200 and you make two $100 payments no later than 

15 days after your due date, you would receive credit for one qualifying payment.

Qualifying Employment

26.What types of employers are qualifying employers for the PSLF Program?

All federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies or organizations, and many not-for-profit 

organizations, are qualifying employers for PSLF.

27.What counts as a government employer for the PSLF Program?

In addition to any federal, state, local, or tribal government agency, eligible government employers for the 

PSLF Program include the U.S. military, public elementary and secondary schools, public colleges and 

universities, public child and family service agencies, and special governmental districts (including entities 

such as public transportation, water, bridge district, or housing authorities).

View a listing of most government agencies and departments at USA.gov.

Note: Service as an elected member of the U.S. Congress is not qualifying employment for PSLF.

28.What not-for-profit organizations qualify as eligible employers for the PSLF Program?

Eligible not-for-profit organizations include

• those that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and

• those that are not tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, but provide a 

qualifying public service.

However, if the organization is a labor union or a partisan political organization, it is not an eligible PSLF 

employer. In addition, if you perform religious activities as part of your job, there are limitations on your 

ability to have your employment qualify for PSLF.

Eligible not-for-profit organizations include most private elementary and secondary schools, private 

colleges and universities, and thousands of other organizations. Your employer can tell you if it is a notfor-profit organization and what its tax status is, or you can use the searchable database of tax-exempt 

organizations at www.IRS.gov.

A not-for-profit organization that is not exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code must 

provide one of the following public services:
Qualifying Employment

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• Emergency management

• Military service

• Public safety

• Law enforcement

• Public interest law services

• Early childhood education (including licensed or regulated childcare, Head Start, and state-funded 

pre-kindergarten)

• Public service for individuals with disabilities and the elderly

• Public health (including nurses, nurse practitioners, nurses in a clinical setting, and full-time 

professionals engaged in health care practitioner occupations and health care support occupations)

• Public education

• Public library services

• School library or other school-based services

29.I’m employed full-time by a qualifying not-for-profit organization, but my job duties 

include religious activities. Does my employment qualify for PSLF?

It depends on how much of your job is related to religious activities. When determining whether you are a 

full-time employee for PSLF, your employer may not include the time you spend participating in religious 

instruction, worship services, or any form of proselytizing.

30.What types of public service jobs will qualify me for loan forgiveness under the PSLF 

Program?

The specific job that you perform does not matter, as long as you are employed by an eligible public 

service organization. For example, if you are a full-time employee of a public school system, your

employment would meet the requirements for PSLF, regardless of your position (teacher, administrator, 

support staff, etc.).

31.What is considered full-time employment for PSLF?

If you only have one employer, you must meet your employer’s definition of full-time. However, for PSLF 

purposes, that definition must be at least 30 hours per week.

32.I am a teacher who does not teach over the summer break. If I make payments during 

the summer, do those payments count toward PSLF?

Payments you make during the summer will count if you have a contract for an employment period of at 

least eight months and you work an average of 30 hours per week during that period, and if your 

employer still considers you to be employed full-time during the summer break. Of course, the payments 

must otherwise meet all PSLF requirements. In this circumstance, your employer should include the dates 

of the summer break when reporting your dates of employment on the PSLF Employment Certification 

Form, even though you are not actually teaching during that period.
Qualifying Employment

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33.I’m working for more than one employer during the same period of time, but I’m not 

employed by any one of them on a full-time basis. Will my combined employment be 

considered full-time for PSLF?

Yes, as long as the combined number of hours you work for each employer equals at least 30 hours per 

week. Each employer must be a qualifying employer for the employment to be included in determining 

whether you are employed on a full-time basis.

For example, if you worked for one qualifying employer for 10 hours per week and you concurrently 

worked for a second qualifying employer for 20 hours per week, this would meet the 30 hours per week

requirement.

34.Is Peace Corps or AmeriCorps service considered qualifying employment for PSLF?

Yes, if you are serving as a full-time Peace Corps or AmeriCorps volunteer.

35.I’m employed full-time by a company that is doing work for a qualifying PSLF employer

under a contract. However, the company that I work for is not a qualifying PSLF 

employer. Does this employment qualify for PSLF?

No. You must be employed full-time by a qualifying employer.

36.I know that employment with a public school qualifies for PSLF. What about 

employment with a private school?

Most private elementary and secondary schools, and private colleges and universities are not-for-profit

organizations. If a private school has this status, it would qualify as a public service organization for PSLF 

purposes.

However, employment with a private school, college, or university that operates on a for-profit basis is not 

eligible employment for PSLF purposes.

37.Can I receive PSLF if I have more than one employer over the course of 10 years?

Yes. However, you must provide documentation that demonstrates that you were employed full-time by a 

qualifying employer at the time you made each of the required 120 payments.

38.If I’m employed by a 501(c)(3) organization, but I work outside the United States, would 

the employment qualify under the PSLF program?

Yes. Full-time employees of 501(c)(3) organizations may perform their work anywhere.

39.I’m a full-time employee of a foreign not-for-profit organization that is not a 501(c)(3) 

organization. Will my employment with this not-for-profit organization qualify for PSLF?

It depends on whether the organization operates in the United States.

If the organization operates in the U.S., your employment would qualify for PSLF purposes. If the

organization does not operate in the U.S., your employment does not qualify.
Qualifying Employment

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40.Does employment by a foreign government or international, intergovernmental 

organization (such as the United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation and 

Development, Organization of American States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization) 

qualify for PSLF?

No. Only U.S. federal, state, local and tribal government organizations, agencies, or entities qualify as 

public service organizations for purposes of PSLF. However, if you work for a U.S. delegation to an 

international, intergovernmental organization, such as the U.S. mission to the United Nations, your 

employment qualifies because your employer is the U.S. government.

41.I’m employed full-time by an eligible public service organization in one of the islands 

that have a legal relationship with the United States. Will that employment qualify for 

PSLF purposes?

Yes. American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth 

of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of 

Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are considered part of the United States for PSLF.

42.Does full-time volunteer service for a public service organization qualify for PSLF?

No. Unless you are an AmeriCorps or Peace Corps volunteer, you must be a full-time employee who is 

hired and paid by a public service organization.

43.I am serving a fellowship with a qualifying employer. Does this qualify for PSLF?

It depends on the terms of your fellowship. It would qualify only if you are considered an employee who is 

hired and paid by the public service organization where you are serving the fellowship.

44.Are vacation and leave periods considered when determining whether I am a full-time 

employee?

Vacation or leave time provided by your employer is counted as hours worked in determining whether you 

meet the full-time employment requirement. This includes leave taken for a qualifying condition under the 

Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

45.I’m the only official who can certify my employment. Can I certify my own qualifying 

employment?

Yes, you may certify your own employment if you are the only employee of the organization who can do 

so. However, we will request additional documentation concerning your employment, such as earnings 

statements, IRS W-2 forms, your application for tax-exempt status, or any other documentation required 

to be filed with the IRS on a periodic basis regarding the activities of the organization.

46.What if I make my last qualifying payment while working for a qualifying employer, but 

then leave that job to work for a for-profit corporation before applying for the PSLF 

benefit. Am I still eligible for PSLF?

No. To be eligible for forgiveness after making 120 qualifying payments, you must be employed full-time 

by a qualifying employer at the time you made each qualifying payment, at the time you apply for loan 

forgiveness, and at the time you receive loan forgiveness.
Application Process

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Therefore, if you leave your job at a qualifying employer after meeting the PSLF eligibility requirements

but before you apply for loan forgiveness, you would not be eligible for forgiveness since you must be 

working for a qualifying employer at the time you apply for and receive forgiveness. However, you could 

regain eligibility if you later find full-time employment at another qualifying public service organization and 

then apply for loan forgiveness.

Application Process

47.How can I find out if my employment and payments qualify for PSLF?

If you submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form at

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/public-service-employment-certification-form.pdf, 

we will tell you if your employment and payments qualify for PSLF. You are encouraged to submit this 

form to FedLoan Servicing, our PSLF servicer, annually while you are working to fulfill the requirements 

for PSLF so that you will receive feedback on the eligibility of your employment and payments on an 

ongoing basis.

After you submit your first Employment Certification Form, and if our PSLF servicer determines that your 

employment qualifies, all of your loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education will be transferred to 

the PSLF servicer, which will then verify that the loan payments you made during the period covered by 

the Employment Certification Form are qualifying payments. After reviewing your Employment 

Certification Form, the PSLF servicer will tell you how many qualifying payments you have made toward 

PSLF.

48.After I submitted the Employment Certification form, I was notified that I would now have 

a different servicer for my federally held student loans. Why did my servicer change?

One of the federal loan servicers, FedLoan Servicing, has been assigned the responsibility of 

administering PSLF for all Direct Loan borrowers. As a result, if you submit an Employment Certification

Form and FedLoan Servicing determines that your employment qualifies, all of your Direct Loans as well 

as any of your FFEL Program loans that are held by ED will be transferred to FedLoan Servicing.

49.What kind of documentation do I need to keep to show that I worked for a qualifying 

PSLF employer while making the required 120 payments on my Direct Loan(s)?

The PSLF servicer will confirm that your employer is a qualifying public service organization based on the 

information provided on the Employment Certification Form that you submit. In some cases, the PSLF 

servicer may require additional documentation about your qualifying employment. Therefore, you should 

keep records that identify your employer, show your dates of employment with that employer, confirm that 

you were a full-time employee, and demonstrate that your employer meets the definition of a public 

service organization. Examples of such documents include, but are not limited to, IRS W2 forms and pay

stubs.

You should retain as many documents supporting your qualifying employment as possible.

50.What should I do after I qualify for PSLF?

You must submit an application for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. 

Please note that the earliest any borrower will be able to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness is 

October 2017. Therefore, there is no application for forgiveness yet. The application will be released 

closer to the time when the first borrowers will qualify for forgiveness.
Application Process

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51.When I’m ready to submit my loan forgiveness application, do I need to submit any 

other documents to the PSLF servicer?

Yes. Even if you submitted Employment Certification Forms to the PSLF servicer during the entire period 

when you were making your 120 qualifying payments, you will need to submit one additional Employment 

Certification Form to verify that you are employed full-time with a qualifying public service organization at 

the time you submit your PSLF application. 

If you did not submit any Employment Certification Forms, did not submit forms for some of your 

employers, or submitted forms for only a portion of your period of qualifying employment, you will need to 

provide one or more Employment Certification Forms, as necessary, to cover your entire period of 

qualifying employment (including your current employment) at the time you submit your loan forgiveness 

application.

52.I made some qualifying payments, but I no longer work for my qualifying employer and 

do not think I will work in qualifying employment again. Can I receive partial forgiveness 

based on the number of qualifying payments that I made?

No. There is no partial loan forgiveness. To receive PSLF, you must make all 120 qualifying payments 

while working for a qualifying employer.

53.When I submit my application for loan forgiveness after making the required 120 

qualifying payments, how long will it take to process my application and forgive my 

remaining loan balance?

Processing times will vary depending on factors such as whether you previously submitted documentation 

of employment for review or submitted documentation only at the time you applied for loan forgiveness, 

the number of your employers, any gaps in your employment or payment history, and any required followup.

If you periodically submitted the Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Form so 

that your eligibility could be tracked while you were making the required 120 payments, your application 

for loan forgiveness will likely be processed more quickly.

The PSLF servicer will notify you that you are not required to continue making payments on your loans 

during the period when your loan forgiveness application is being processed.

54.What will happen if my PSLF application is denied?

If we determine that you are not eligible for loan forgiveness, you will be notified of this determination and 

will be provided with the reason you were determined to be ineligible. FedLoan Servicing, ED’s PSLF 

servicer, will then resume billing on your loans.

The PSLF servicer will also grant forbearance of payments of principal and interest to cover the period 

when collection activity was suspended during the application processing period. If you are not granted 

forgiveness, interest that accrues (accumulates) during a period of suspended collection activity may be 

capitalized.

Capitalization means that we add accrued interest to the unpaid principal amount of your loan. 

Capitalization increases the unpaid principal balance of your loan, and we will then charge interest on the 

increased principal amount.
Application Process

Federal Student Aid | StudentAid.gov Page 13 of 13

55.If I receive loan forgiveness under the federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program after 

completing five years of qualifying teaching service, will I also be able to qualify for 

PSLF?

Yes. However, you may not receive a benefit under both the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program and the 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for the same period of teaching service. For example, if you 

make payments on your loans during your five years of qualifying employment for Teacher Loan 

Forgiveness and then receive loan forgiveness for that service, the payments you made during that fiveyear period will not count toward PSLF.

56.If I’m employed by a qualifying employer and receive a student loan repayment benefit 

from my employer under the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program or under 

another employer-based student loan repayment program, can I also receive PSLF 

based on the same employment?

Yes. You may receive benefits under both an employer loan repayment plan, including the Federal

Student Loan Repayment Program and the PSLF Program for the same period of qualifying public 

service.

Note: If your employer makes a single lump-sum payment that covers multiple monthly student loan 

payments, it will count as only one qualifying monthly payment and may affect whether future payments 

qualify.

Learn more about the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program at www.opm.gov/policy-dataoversight/pay-leave/student-loan-repayment.

December 2015