Public Service Loan Forgiveness

(10 year program)

www.StudentAid.gov/publicservice

Summer 2025 Updates:

For borrowers on SAVE and in forbearance, it may be best to just stay in forbearance and plan on doing the PSLF Buyback down the road. The forbearance may last into 2026. Switching IDR plans is a viable strategy but the payment may very well be higher than what it was under SAVE.
Interest started accruing on August 1, 2025, but the strategy remains unchanged for those going for PSLF: Make no payments now and then switch to a different IDR plan (like IBR) when the SAVE forbearance is officially sunsetting.
To qualify for PAYE you must be a new borrower as of 10/01/2007. To qualify for the PAYE Plan you must be a new borrower. This means that you must have had no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan when you received a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan on or after Oct. 1, 2007, and you must have received a disbursement of a Direct Loan on or after Oct. 1, 2011

Getting Started

Log-in

Step 1: Log in to studentaid.gov

Step 2: Make sure you have Direct loans

If your loans are NOT Direct loans, you will need to consolidate the

non-direct loans only

Consolidate My Loans

Certify Employment

Step 3: PSLF Form

Payments under the PSLF program will only count if you are employed with a qualifying employer. Employment will be verified by submitting the PSLF Form periodically. Guide here