Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue to work full-time in public service jobs. Under this program, you may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on your William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments on those loans while employed full-time by certain public service employers.

PSLF is managed by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Full information about PSLF can be found on the Federal Student Aid website

To help provide eligible employees with information on the program, OHE has developed a fact sheet and FAQ:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Fact Sheet
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Frequently Asked Questions
• For State Agency's: Draft Email Template to Staff

All information contained in these documents comes from the U.S. Department of Education.

For Employers

Under Minnesota Statute 136A.1792, certain public service employers in Minnesota must take steps to provide their employees with information about the PSLF Program.

How do I determine if I must comply with the Minnesota law?

Here are the types of organizations meeting the definition of "public service organization" for purposes of the PSLF Program:

• A government organization (including a federal, state, local, or tribal organization, agency, or entity; a public child or family service agency; or a tribal college or university)
• A not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
• A private, not-for-profit organization (that is not a labor union or a partisan political organization) that provides one or more of the following public services:
  • Emergency management
  • Military service
  • Public safety
  • Law enforcement
  • Public interest law services
  • Early childhood education (including licensed or regulated health care, Head Start, and state-funded prekindergarten)
  • Public service for individuals with disabilities and the elderly
  • Public health (including nurses, nurse practitioners, nurses in a clinical setting, and full-time professionals engaged in health care practitioner occupations and health care support occupations)
  • Public education
  • Public library services
  • School library or other school-based services

Eligible not-for-profit organizations include:

• those that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and
• those that are not tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, but provide a qualifying public service.

Read more about the Employer's Role in Public Service Loan Forgiveness on the Federal Student Aid website.