September 23, 2022

The Deadline is Approaching: Don’t Miss Out on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Limited Waiver Opportunity

By:
Dr. Theresa Popp Braun, AFC®, CEPF®, Regional Director Midwest, AccessLex Center for Education and Financial Capability®
|
Financial Education

 

The October 31, 2022 deadline for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Limited Waiver Opportunity is fast approaching. So, the time to act is NOW because the Waiver is a temporary opportunity for federal student loan borrowers to obtain credit for payments that previously didn’t qualify toward the required 120 payments needed to obtain loan forgiveness under PSLF or Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF). 

The good news is the entire process doesn’t have to be completed by the Waiver deadline for you to get your payment count updated. But you do need to take action by 11:59 pm ET on October 31, 2022, because the original rules for PSLF and TEPSLF will resume for all borrowers on November 1, 2022. 

What do you need to do now?  

Use the PSLF Help Tool to generate a PSLF Form to verify if your employer is eligible. If you’ve had multiple employers, you will need a form for each one. Print, sign, have your employer sign and submit the PSLF Form to MOHELA, the PSLF student loan servicer (follow the submission instructions on the form). 

Log into your Federal Student Aid (FSA) account and review your loans. Only Direct loans qualify. If you have FFEL, Perkins or other federal student loans, you will need to consolidate them into a Direct loan by submitting the online consolidation application through studentaid.gov. There are pros and cons to consolidating. Learn what consolidating would mean for you before you act.

Be patient! Processing takes time and there are many potential eligible borrowers.   

Want help reviewing your individual situation and navigating the PSLF Waiver process? AccessLex is here for you and offers many free resources. Check them out!