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Public Service Loan Forgiveness

U.S. pastors with federal direct student loans are now eligible to participate in the U.S. Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Visit the studentaid.gov site for all the details.

Download a copy of the PSLF form.

Download a copy of "A Guide to Assisting Pastors with Student Loan Repayment," for simple PSLF instructions and information about additional programs.


Five Easy Steps for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
(from student loan expert Heather Jarvis at askheatherjarvis.com)

1. Make the right kind of payment…

  • Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
  • Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE)
  • Income-Based Repayment (IBR) or
  • Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)

2. On the right kind of loan. . .

  • Federal Direct Loans ONLY

3. While you are in the right kind of job. . .

  • Full-time paid work for the government or a
  • 501(c)(3), plus certain other positions

4. Repeat 120 times. . .

  • Once a month for 10 years (but does not
  • need to be consecutive

5. Prove it. . .

  • Keep good records!
  • You will need to submit the “Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) & Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF) Certification & Application” form to the Department of Education every year.