The fight to protect student debt relief

Members who wish to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness should act now. That was AFT President Randi Weingarten's message for participants during an AFT telephone town hall for members on Jan. 7. The AFT has been fighting for decades to make sure that college is affordable and accessible to all, said Weingarten. First introduced as a bipartisan policy in 2007, Public Service Loan Forgiveness was designed to erase student debt for public service workers after they have made 10 years of on-time payments. Thanks to efforts during the Biden-Harris administration, $78 billion in loans has already been forgiven for more than 1 million public service workers. However, with the looming transition of power in Washington, D.C., the program's future is uncertain.

Weingarten reassured members that only Congress can eliminate PSLF, but a new administration could impose hurdles by making it harder to get credit or apply for PSLF. She noted that only a small percentage of eligible applicants received relief during former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' tenure. Weingarten told participants that the union wants to ensure members can continue getting the relief they are entitled to under the PSLF program.

Joining the call, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) underscored his commitment to protecting PSLF. "I believe we should forgive student debt in general, but specifically for public service workers, because you folks are doing something really important. You're not going to become rich doing it, and you deserve all the help you can get," said Schumer.

"The progress we've made on PSLF has been life-changing for so many public servants, but we can't take it for granted," said Schumer, who expressed concern that the Trump administration would seek to cut the program again. "We know that we have to act quickly, because the Republicans will probably take it away, and the Trump administration could ignore the bad actors like MOHELA."

Schumer asked participants to ensure they are not on the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan, which may not survive, and move to income-driven repayment plans to ensure PSLF eligibility. He also urged them to regularly certify employment and double-check that everything is properly counted. "Enroll in a repayment plan that qualifies for PSLF, because the SAVE plan is shaky," the senator warned.

Weingarten then turned to Mike Pierce, the executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, who provided detailed advice on navigating the PSLF process and how members can opt in to qualifying income-driven repayment plans to ensure credit for PSLF. Pierce also emphasized the need for documentation and record-keeping, especially given the current legal challenges and potential changes under the new administration.

"I want to just say that if things don't make sense, or if things aren't going according to plan, it's not your fault. It is a broken system, and a broken system with student loan companies that are corrupt in the center of it, which makes this much harder … and more complicated than it needs to be," said Pierce.

One success story came from Chicago Teachers Union member Gynette Baker, who has worked in the Chicago Public Schools district for more than 29 years. A first-generation college graduate with a bachelor's and a master's degree, Baker accumulated significant debt. She first applied for PSLF in 2017 but was denied. "They told me absolutely not, you don't qualify."

Undeterred, Baker persisted and reapplied. In 2023, she received a letter notifying her that more than $143,000 in student loans had been forgiven. "It felt like I won the lottery," she said.

Now, Baker is paying it forward by helping others navigate the student debt relief process. She participates in student debt clinics and encourages others to do the same. "The beautiful thing about the debt clinics is that they help you navigate the whole forgiveness process. It's a big network of people and resources that are there at your fingertips. It's good for me to be a part of our union and to help others to navigate the system," she said.

The AFT will continue to support and advocate for public service workers, offering resources and student debt clinics at aft.org/pslf. Members can also email [email protected] for additional support and resources.

[Adrienne Coles]

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