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Student Debt & Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Public Service Loan Forgiveness is a federal program for people who work full time in the public sector or for certain nonprofit organizations. It can lead to borrowers having their remaining federal student loan balance forgiven after 120 qualifying payments. Almost every AFT member is eligible for this program!
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has changed lives—lifting the burden of student debt for educators, healthcare professionals, public service workers and countless others who have dedicated their careers to serving our communities. While the PSLF program itself still exists, the repayment landscape around it has changed significantly. The most affordable income-driven repayment plan—the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan—is ending, most other income-driven repayment plans are being phased out by 2028, and a new option—the Repayment Assistance Plan —launches July 1, 2026. Parent PLUS borrowers face a critical consolidation deadline of July 1, 2026, after which new Parent PLUS loans will lose access to income-driven repayment and PSLF entirely. The Direct Consolidation Loan must be disbursed before July 1, 2026, so Parent PLUS borrowers should apply NOW.
The AFT is committed to making sure you have accurate, up-to-date information to protect your path to debt relief.
Protect Your Path to Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Student loan rules are changing. Here’s what you need to do—and what to watch out for—to keep your PSLF progress on track.
Know your repayment plan.Log in to studentaid.gov and confirm which repayment plan you’re on. If you’re on SAVE, Pay as You Earn or Income-Contingent Payment, you will need to switch plans before July 1, 2028. Understanding where you stand now is the first step.
Certify your employment—every year and every time you change jobs. Submit your PSLF form using the PSLF Help Tool. Don’t let gaps build up. Annual certification ensures your qualifying payments are tracked accurately and helps catch servicer errors early. Even if your new job qualifies for PSLF, submit a new certification as soon as possible.
Save your records. Download and screenshot your loan documents, payment history and PSLF payment tracker from studentaid.gov. Go to your Federal Student Aid Dashboard, click “View Details” in the “My Aid” section, then click “Download My Aid Data.” Your own records are your best protection if servicer errors occur.
Important Deadlines
| Parent PLUS Borrowers: Act Before It’s Too Late If you have Parent PLUS loans, you must consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan and enroll before July 1, 2026. Start your consolidation application. |
| SAVE / PAYE / ICR Borrowers: Switch by July 1, 2028 The SAVE / PAYE / ICR plans are being phased out under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. You must switch to an Income-Based Repayment Plan or the new Repayment Assistance Plan by July 1, 2028. If you don’t choose a plan, you’ll be auto-enrolled in RAP. RAP qualifies for PSLF. For borrowers who are not eligible for PSLF, RAP has a 30-year forgiveness timeline. Use the Loan Simulator to compare your options. |
Take the Next Step
As always, you can contact us at debtclinic@aft.org with any questions you might have about student debt.
AFT Stories
In 2006, with stars in my eyes, I graduated from college with a degree in music business and a dream job: I was interning for Madonna’s former manager, rubbing elbows with famous musicians and in a field I loved. But like Cinderella at midnight, my time was drawing near: When my student loans went into repayment, I plunged into poverty. Photo credit: Mikhail Yakovlev / iStock / Getty Images Plus
As the Trump administration takes aim at higher education, withholding federal funding from colleges and universities that won’t bend to Trump’s will and squelching free speech in the process, it is also attacking student debt relief—a tool that makes college more accessible and affordable to those who might benefit most. With policies changing and threats spreading across all different aspects of student aid, the AFT held a webinar May 8 to sort it all out. Photo credit: AndreyPopov/Getty
We all know that federal student loans can mean the difference between attending college to pursue your dreams and settling for far less. We also know that student debt can hold us back and that debt relief can set us on a path toward achieving career and family goals that would be impossible without it. Photo credit: OLIVIER DOULIERY / Contributor / AFP / Getty Images
Stark black-and-white signs flanked a determined group of activists and legislators gathered on Capitol Hill May 22, amplifying their bold, unequivocal message: “Fire MOHELA.” Hosted by the Debt Collective, the event featured members of the Student Borrower Protection Center, the AFT and others who described how the notorious student loan servicer has abused borrowers with mishandled paperwork, misinformation, miscalculations and hourslong hold times. The group demanded that the government cut ties to stop the abuse.
The AFT, AFT President Randi Weingarten and eight individual AFT member plaintiffs have reached a landmark settlement with the U.S. Department of Education in the case Weingarten v. DeVos.
