Housing & money Official page read in full
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for first responders
Federal student loan program: qualifying federal Direct Loans can be forgiven after 120 qualifying payments while you work for a qualifying public service employer, which can include fire and police departments.
FirefightersPolice and law enforcementEMS (EMTs and paramedics)
What the official page says
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's guide for first responders says PSLF allows qualifying federal student loans to be forgiven after 10 years (120 months) of qualifying payments while working for a qualifying public service employer. It says serving as a firefighter or police officer may qualify you, and other first responders may qualify if they work for qualifying employers such as government entities or non-profits.
- The guide says only federal Direct Loans qualify, and most other federal loans can be consolidated into a new Direct Consolidation Loan to qualify.
- The guide says to use the Department of Education's PSLF Help Tool (studentaid.gov/pslf) to check your next steps and submit the PSLF form, and to submit an updated form each year. The 120 payments do not have to be consecutive.
- The guide's PDF file is dated November 2022, and repayment-plan rules can change. Confirm current rules at studentaid.gov before you act. General information, not financial or legal advice.
Official source: CFPB: Guide for first responders with student debt (PDF)