PSLF Public Service Loan Forgiveness Change

Cancel Student Debt and win #CollegeForAll
#1

I got an email about PSLF today. I chose not to pursue this route because they were rejecting well over 90% of applicants. It is one of the reasons I live abroad where I can have decent national health insurance (ambulance = $0). I am happy for the people getting credit for forgiveness but knowing that they were not keeping their end of the bargain was enough to dissuade me from teaching in the US.

Another reason for cancelation is people who chose not to pursue programs that the government did not honor, leading people to pursue different options.

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#2

I think many teachers gave up and stopped teaching because they saw that PSLF wasn’t working out. The government refused to credit their service with various excuses for not doing so.

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#3

Historically they have rejected over 90% of the applicants, however it appears the Biden admin. has made some effort to rectify the situation. There have been people who have had their situation re-evaluated and given credit for payments that were previously not credited, and had some of their debt forgiven. So if you are in a situation where you could potentially get forgiveness this way, I would pursue it.

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#4

I received the same email twice. I’m a retired nurse, and I wish there was something specific for nurses, esp with this pandemic that we went through. I’m sitting here thinking of all the possible non-profit jobs I had. Also, the fact I’m not employed right now, I don’t know if I should try. I’m thinking I’m going to ask for the disability paperwork. I am, and also I’m 67……will never be able to pay the 325K. (The compound interest !!! ).
I talked to my doctor, and she said she would fill out the paperwork. I’m not on ss disability, because I needed money right away, so I took early retirement. Anyone do this, or planning on it ?

#5

That’s the problem. I seriously considered the programs but when I saw how little the PSLF was being honored, I decided to stay abroad (where I am married to a citizen of another nation anyway). There’s no way they are going to honor people who taught abroad at schools unaffiliated with the US or who say they were considering it because it is too difficult to prove your intentions. I read the news stories and saw little purpose in pursuing PSLF if well over 90% of people were getting rejected. It was a bad faith program in design and/or execution though I am glad for those who are being honored now.

#6

I agree. I plan to move to Portugal. I can’t afford to retire in the US. I’m hoping they would at least make all student loans zero interest. That would be a good start. And maybe I can pay it off before I leave.

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#7

I agree! I’ve started the IDR consolidation process this week and it seems to be working out for a lot of public service employees who’ve put in the 120 eligible payments. Federal Student Aid

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#8

I wasn’t a teacher but I drove a school bus while getting my degree. I couldn’t find work for years. However, becuase we took the bulk of cuts after the state “balanced the budget” ie took more money out of the schools. My hours were cut below the threshold for PSLF. I finally got a job at a non-profit for a bit. However, being I wasn’t adminstrative staff I was a 1099 employee.
When the grant ran out again i couldn’t find a job and had to go back to driving the bus.

It seem like it is study, sacrifice and stave is the model.

How can I get some help?