Despite a recent ruling, your Stanford service may still help you qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Joe Biden could not proceed with a student loan forgiveness plan that would have granted most federal student loan borrowers $10,000 or $20,000 in loan forgiveness, depending on eligibility.

However, the previously established Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) administered by the U.S. Department of Education still provides a pathway to loan forgiveness and your Stanford service may count toward eligibility. 

The PSLF program eliminates the remaining balance on eligible federal student loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for certain government employers and not-for-profit organizations, such as Stanford. 

Normal payment and interest rules to resume this fall 

Some of the pandemic-era interim rules around student loan repayment are now set to expire. For example, since March 2020, federal student loan borrowers have had payments suspended, with interest rates set to zero, and the Department of Education has confirmed payments will resume later this fall. 

And last September, Cardinal at Work reported that a temporary waiver of certain PSLF rules allowed borrowers to receive credit for past periods of repayment that otherwise would not qualify, so long as they took advantage of a special application period.

With normal program requirements resuming, here’s what you can do to apply for PSLF. 

When to submit the PSLF form

Even if you don’t qualify for forgiveness yet or aren’t sure how many qualifying payments you’ve made, you should submit the PSLF form annually or when you change employers to ensure you’re on the right track to making qualifying PSLF payments. There is a wealth of information on the PSLF program website, but here are some program definitions to get you started:

• Eligible loans: Direct Loans or other loans such as the Perkins that are consolidated into Direct Loans
• Payments: 120 qualifying payments since Oct. 1, 2007, but they do not have to be made consecutively. Only payments under certain payment plans qualify; be sure to check all of the details.
• Full-time: Must be working at least 30 hours per week
• Qualifying service: Other employment outside of Stanford may also count toward your service
• Stanford’s Employer Identification Number is 94-1156365. You will need this to get started.

Verify your employment at Stanford

You can email your fully completed and signed PSLF form to Stanford’s Payroll Office (payroll@stanford.edu).

Learn more

• Visit the Department of Education's PSLF website to see if you meet all the eligibility requirements and for more information, including the application process, how to submit, and contact information.

• Stanford Financial Aid can also provide general advice. However, for eligibility questions, contact your loan servicer.

• Stanford faculty and staff are invited to attend the webinar “Ask Fidelity: Get a Handle on Your Current Student Loan Debt” on Aug. 17, 2023, from 12 to 12:30 p.m. PT. Find details and a link to register on Stanford Events.