The deadline for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Temporary Extended Public Service Loan Program is approaching and state leaders urge Californians to apply.
Last year, the Department of Education launched a limited-time PSLF Waiver opportunity that runs through Oct. 31 2022 which allows eligible borrowers to receive credit for past payments made on loans that would otherwise not qualify under the PSLF program.
According to Bonta’s office, this move to improve the PSLF program followed a lawsuit and years-long advocacy by state attorney generals and others urging the Education Department to take robust action to fix the broken program.
As a result, the California Justice Department has a part in the California Student Loan Debt Challenge to raise awareness about the PSLF program and help DOJ employees access loan forgiveness.
“I have fought to expand access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and I urge all eligible Californians to take advantage of this important opportunity,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Our public servants work day in and day out on behalf of the people of California as our nurses, teachers, first responders, state workers, and more. As students, they took out student loans only to find themselves weighed down by debt and denied the relief they were promised.”
The PSLF program cancels a remainder of the borrower’s federal student loan debt after they make 10 years of monthly payments while doing public interest work. Californians may also qualify if they made 120 payments over any span of time while doing public interest work.
According to A September 2021 report from The Washington Post, just 1 in 5 of the 1.3 million borrowers pursuing debt relief through PSLF were on track to see relief in 2026.
The specific job you perform doesn't matter as long as you are employed by a qualified employer, such as governmental employers and many non-profit organizations. For example, if you’re a full-time employee of a public school system, your employment qualifies regardless of your position.
For more information of the PSLF program, visit www.Studentaid.Gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service.
