Latest Student Loan Forgiveness: The Biden-Harris administration’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is now offering expanded student loan relief for over 60,000 public service workers, thanks to new provisions for retroactive and ongoing forgiveness. With this recent approval, PSLF loan forgiveness has reached a total of $74 billion, benefiting over a million workers in fields like teaching, healthcare, social work, and veterans’ services.
Since July 2024, the PSLF application and tracking have been centralized on StudentAid.gov, no longer relying on a single servicer. This streamlining has helped make the PSLF process more efficient, reducing wait times and making it easier for borrowers to manage and track their progress.
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Fixing PSLF was a top priority, according to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, who pointed out that before Biden, the program was so badly run that only 7,000 people were forgiven. “I’m tremendously proud that over one million public servants have received lifechanging loan forgiveness,” he said.
In addition to providing confidence to existing borrowers, this change reassures prospective students that careers in public service can provide a feasible route to debt-free living in ten years.
The Biden administration forgives $4.5 billion in loans
Despite stiff legal opposition, the Biden administration is forging ahead with a new plan to cancel federal student loans for millions of borrowers.
The Education Department released new forgiveness rules Friday as part of its latest attempt at broad student debt cancellation.… pic.twitter.com/Nbca4mNsDw
— Money (@Money) October 29, 2024
The administration has enlisted the help of unions such as the AFT, NEA, and AFSCME, who are offering resources and tools to encourage public employees to utilize PSLF.
The administration is working closely with unions like the AFT, NEA, and AFSCME to support public employees in accessing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. These unions are providing valuable resources to help members understand and apply for PSLF. For example:
- AFT (American Federation of Teachers) offers “student debt clinics,” which have already guided over 34,000 teachers and nurses through the forgiveness process.
- NEA (National Education Association) provides a “Student Debt Navigator” tool, which offers borrowers personalized, one-on-one counseling to better understand their options.
- AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) supplies tools to help prospective applicants understand the PSLF program, including an interactive map showing forgiveness statistics by state, which helps borrowers see the program’s impact in their area.
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In addition to PSLF, the administration has further modified loan relief options for students who have been misled by their institutions, those who are experiencing economic difficulties, or those who are facing high-interest growth.
While Plan B focuses on extending forgiveness to a specific group, such as those who owe more than they borrowed, these improvements aim to forgive up to 10 million more borrowers.
Plan B’s emphasis on providing a safety net for borrowers with rising interest rates, long-term repayment, or low-value educational programs, despite legal obstacles, demonstrates a determined attempt to address persistent problems with student debt. Public service is still a simple route for those who want forgiveness, and recent program enhancements have made it easier than ever to apply.
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