Student loan debt in the U.S. is soaring. Currently, the debt total is over $1.8 trillion, according to the Education Data Initiative, and 42.7 million borrowers are carrying student loan debt.
One possible option for some student borrowers is forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Read on to learn about how PSLF works, who is eligible for the program, and how to make qualifying PSLF payments.
Key Points
• The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program forgives student loans after 10 years of qualifying payments for eligible public service workers.
• Qualifying employers for PSLF include government agencies and certain nonprofits.
• Payments must be in full and on time (or no more than 15 days late) to count toward PSLF.
• There is no maximum income limit for eligibility in the PSLF program.
• Nonconsecutive qualifying payments are acceptable for PSLF.
What Is Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
Public Service Loan Forgiveness was created in 2007 to encourage graduates with federal student loans to pursue relatively low-paying jobs in public service, like teachers, nurses, or public interest lawyers, by helping them with their student loan debt — which might be higher than what their salary could allow them to repay.
At its core, the idea seems relatively simple. After 10 years of qualifying student loan payments while working in a qualified public service job for a qualifying employer, the remaining balance on a borrower’s student loans would be forgiven by the government.
But when the first batch of students became eligible for PSLF in 2017, 10 years after the program’s inception, it became clear that the guidelines were a little murkier than originally thought.
Data showed that nearly 99% of applicants were denied loan forgiveness. According to the Department of Education at that time, 70% of the approximately 29,000 applicants that were processed were denied because they failed to meet program requirements.
Since then, some improvements have been made to the program. Under the Biden administration, for example, temporary waivers allowed more borrowers in the program to have their loans forgiven. By October 2024, over 1 million borrowers had received forgiveness on their student loans.
However, changes may be coming to the PSLF program. Under a new “final rule” to PSLF announced by the Trump administration on October 30, 2025, there will be changes to the definition of “qualifying employer.” The administration says the new rule will be effective as of July 1, 2026. However, as of November 3, 2025, two lawsuits had been filed against the administration (one by 21 states, the other by a coalition of nonprofits, cities, and unions) saying the rule violates free speech and aims to punish the administration’s political opponents. More lawsuits challenging the rule are expected to be filed.
So, if you plan to pursue PSLF, it could be worth taking a few minutes to double check the program requirements and make sure you meet them all.
Recommended: Student Debt Guide
PSLF: The Requirements
In order to be considered for loan forgiveness, there are a few program requirements to meet. (You can also see all the requirements on the Federal Student Aid website.)
First, the borrower has to work for a qualifying employer — like a government agency or certain types of nonprofits.
The borrower also has to work full-time. If they happen to be working a few jobs that all qualify for the program, it’s possible to work a cumulative total of 30 hours a week to meet the full-time employment qualification.
PSLF requires applicants to have a Direct Loan or a Direct Consolidation Loan and the loan cannot be in default.
Finally, 120 qualifying payments would have to be made under an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan or the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.
What Is a Qualifying Payment for Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
While it may seem easy to make qualifying payments for loan forgiveness, the process can be confusing at times and requires attention to detail from the borrower pursuing loan forgiveness.
Qualifying Employer
Part of making PSLF qualifying payments is working for an employer who qualifies for the program. To confirm whether an employer currently qualifies, borrowers need to fill out the employment certification form. As borrowers work toward loan forgiveness in the program, they should fill out the employment certification form every year and every time they switch jobs.
As noted above, the definition of “qualifying employer” is scheduled to change on July 1, 2026, according to the Education Department. At that time, under the new policy, organizations that engage in what the Trump administration calls “unlawful activities,” such as “aiding and betting illegal immigration” and “aiding and abetting illegal discrimination” will not qualify for the program. For now, however, the “qualifying employer” definition remains the same as it has been, and multiple lawsuits challenging the rule may put its implementation on hold.
Loan Eligibility
If you’re considering applying to the program, double check the type of loans you hold and make sure they qualify for PSLF. To check, you can log into the Federal Student Aid website. For example, federal loans such as Perkins Loans or Family Federal Education Loans (FFEL) don’t qualify for PSLF.
However, if they are consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan, they may. If the loans were consolidated on or after September 1, 2024, note that any payments made prior to consolidation will generally not count toward the total of the 120 qualified payments required by the PSLF program.
Repayment Plan
You’ll also likely want to take a look at the repayment plan. In order to make a qualifying payment, the loan should be enrolled in a qualifying repayment plan, typically one of the income-driven repayment plans.
While the standard 10-year repayment plan does qualify for PSLF, by the time 120 payments have been made, the loan should be repaid, so there likely won’t be a balance left to forgive.
Don’t qualify for PSLF?
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PSLF Payment Tips
Once program requirements are being met, making qualifying payments requires continued diligence. Qualifying payments must have been made after October 2007, when the program started.
• Payments should be for the “full amount due as shown on your monthly bill” and should be made no later than 15 days after the payment due date. Many loan servicers offer the option to enroll in automatic payments, which could potentially make it easier to pay on-time every month.
• Payments only count toward PSLF if they are “required payments.” This means that any payments made while a borrower has in-school status, during the grace period, or during periods of nonpayment like deferment or forbearance, won’t count as a qualifying payment for the PSLF program. However, payments that were paused due to COVID-19 will count as though you made those payments.
• A borrower will only receive credit for one payment per month. Making payments larger than the monthly minimum or making multiple payments a month doesn’t translate into reaching PSLF faster.
• If a borrower pursuing PSLF plans to make an overpayment, it can be worth contacting the loan servicer to confirm the additional payment isn’t being applied to future payments. That’s because a payment will only qualify toward PSLF if there is a payment due, so if a borrower has paid ahead, they may be unable to make a qualifying payment for that month.
• Student loan qualifying payments don’t need to be made consecutively. For instance, if you had made a series of payments while employed with a qualifying employer, but then switched jobs and no longer work with a qualifying employer, you won’t lose credit for the PSLF qualifying payments you’ve already made.
After making 120 qualifying payments, borrowers can apply for loan forgiveness by filling out an application. After years of hard work, they’ll (hopefully) be able to celebrate the sweet victory of achieving student loan forgiveness.
Buyer Beware: Looking Out for Scams
There are many boxes to check as you pursue loan forgiveness and it can be tricky to navigate the intricacies of the program. But there is help out there.
The Education Department offers an online help tool for borrowers pursuing PSLF. It can give borrowers an idea of where they stand and assist them through the process of pursuing PSLF.
An important note: There is no fee associated with filing paperwork for PSLF. If you’ve been contacted by a service that offers to provide assistance for a fee, they’re likely not affiliated with the Education Department. In a worst case scenario, it could be one of the many scams that prey on confusion and have grown in number as student loan debt increases.
Recommended: 7 Tips to Avoid Student Loan Scams
The Takeaway
Student loan borrowers working in public service who meet certain eligibility requirements may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Payments must be qualified to count toward the 120 payments needed to obtain forgiveness under the program. Those who are pursuing PSLF or considering applying for it should make sure their monthly payments meet all the requirements.
For borrowers who aren’t eligible for PSLF, student loan refinancing is potentially one repayment option to explore to help make your loans more manageable.
Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.
FAQ
Can I make extra payments to qualify for PSLF faster?
No, making extra payments will not help you qualify for PSLF faster. You must make 120 separate qualifying monthly payments to get forgiveness under PSLF.
How do I know how many qualifying payments I’ve made?
To find out how many qualifying PSLF payments you’ve made, log into your account on StudentAid.gov, go to the “My Aid” section of your dashboard, and click on “View Details.” Next, scroll to the PSLF section and click on “View Details” again. There you should be able to see how many qualifying PSLF payments you’ve made.
Can I make too much money to qualify for PSLF?
There is no maximum income limit for PSLF; you can qualify for the program no matter how much you make. However, your income may affect your forgiveness amount on an income-driven repayment plan. These plans base your monthly payments on your discretionary income and family size. If your income is high, your monthly payments may be high. Depending how much student loan debt you have, you could end up repaying much of what you owe before you reach the 120 qualifying payments needed for PSLF. Explore different repayment options to determine which is best for you.
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