Published: September 2022

Congress members and advocacy groups urge Department of Education to extend Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver

Members of Congress and consumer advocates joined in urging the Department of Education to extend the Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver deadline until at least July 2, 2023, in order to allow more teacher, military service members and other public servants to benefit from the program despite sloppy loan servicing that had denied many borrowers the debt relief they had earned.

Consumer Action was among 74 advocacy groups that supported the 110 legislators who urged U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to extend the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver deadline until at least July 1, 2023, when the Department’s proposed rules to improve and expand federal student debt relief programs, including PSLF, are currently on track to take effect. The PSLF program was designed to offer student loan debt relief for teachers, servicemembers and others in exchange for their service in jobs that benefit the public, many of which pay a lower wage or salary in comparison to private sector jobs. However, sloppy loan servicing, including misleading information about PSLF eligibility, has kept many from getting the relief they were promised. The “limited PSLF waiver” refers to the time-limited changes to program rules that allow borrowers to receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for PSLF. Signers noted that an extension of the waiver deadline would ensure more public servants are able to benefit from the waiver, including military service members, who face troubling administrative hurdles in certifying their employment for the PSLF program. 

Lead Organization

Members of Congress

More Information

Click here to read the coalition letter.

Click here to read Senator Menendez’s press release (which lists signers outside of Congress).

Download PDF

No Download Available