Public Service Loan Forgiveness (Pslf): Employment Certification Form (Page 9 of 10) in pdf

SECTION 8: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PSLF (CONTINUED)

If you have FFEL Program or Perkins Loan Program loans,

be a business organized for profit, a labor union, or a

you may consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan

partisan political organization.

to take advantage of PSLF. However, payments made on

Employment as a member of the U.S. Congress is not

your FFEL Program or Perkins Loan Program loans before

qualifying employment.

you consolidated them, even if they were made under a

You must be employed full-time by your employer.

qualifying repayment plan, do not count as qualifying PSLF

payments. In addition, if you made qualifying payments on

Generally, you must meet your employer's definition of

a Direct Loan and then consolidate it into a Direct

full-time. However, for PSLF purposes, that definition must

Consolidation Loan, you must start over making qualifying

be at least an annual average of 30 hours per week. For

payments on the new Direct Consolidation Loan. If you

purposes of the full-time requirement, your qualifying

consolidate your FFEL Program or Perkins Loan Program

employment at a 501(c)(3) organization or a not-for-profit

loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan to take advantage of

organization does not include time spent participating in

PSLF and do not have any Direct Loans, do not submit this

religious instruction, worship services, or any form of

form until you have consolidated your loans. The

proselytizing.

application for Direct Consolidation Loans contains a

If you are a teacher, or other employee of a public service

section that allows you to indicate that you are

organization, under contract for at least eight out of 12

consolidating your loans for PSLF. You can consolidate your

months, you meet the full-time standard if you work an

federal student loans online by visiting StudentLoans.gov. If

average of at least 30 hours per week during the

you don't know what type of federal student loans you

contractual period and receive credit by your employer for

have, check the National Student Loan Data System

a full year's worth of employment.

(NSLDS) at nslds.ed.gov.

If you are employed in more than one qualifying part-time

Employment Eligibility

job simultaneously, you may meet the full-time

To qualify for PSLF, you must be an employee of a

employment requirement if you work a combined average

qualifying organization. An employee is someone who is

of at least 30 hours per week with your employers.

hired and paid by the organization. You may physically

Vacation or leave time provided by the employer or leave

perform your work at a qualifying or non-qualifying

taken for a condition that is a qualifying reason for leave

organization, so long as your employer is a qualifying

under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29, U.S.C.

organization. If you are a contracted employee, the

2612(a)(1) and (3) is equivalent to hours worked in

organization that hired and pays you must qualify, not the

qualifying employment.

organization where you perform your work. The type or

nature of employment with the organization does not

Other Important Information

matter for PSLF purposes.

The submission of this form before you apply for PSLF is

A qualifying organization is a Federal, State, or local

optional. However, if you wait to submit this form until you

government agency, entity, or organization or a tax-

apply for PSLF, you will be required to submit one form for

exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal

each employer that you want considered toward your

Revenue Code (IRC). Service in an AmeriCorps or Peace

eligibility for PSLF.

Corps position is also qualifying employment. The type of

If you submit this form and your employer qualifies, all of

services that these organizations provide does not matter

your loans held by the Department will be transferred to

for PSLF purposes.

FedLoan Servicing. FedLoan Servicing will then determine

A private not-for-profit organization that is not a tax-

how many qualifying payments you made during the

exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC

period of qualifying employment within the dates provided

may be a qualifying organization if it provides certain

in Section 3.

specified public services. These services include emergency

You are not permitted to apply the same period of service

management, military service, public safety, or law

to receive PSLF and the Teacher Loan Forgiveness, Service

enforcement services; public health services; public

in Areas of National Need, and Civil Legal Assistance

education or public library services; school library and

Attorney Student Loan Repayment programs.

other school-based services; public interest law services;

early childhood education; public service for individuals

No borrower will be eligible for PSLF until October 2017 at

with disabilities and the elderly. The organization must not

the earliest. An application for PSLF will be made available

at a later time.

Page 5 of 6

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (Pslf): Employment Certification Form Page 9

Related Articles

Related forms

Related Categories