Changes in public service loan-forgiveness program may benefit UAB employees

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Student loan computer As employees of an eligible public service employer, full-time UAB and UAB Hospital employees may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on student loans after making 120 qualifying payments through the PSLF program. You must complete the PSLF waiver form by Oct. 31, 2022. The U.S. Department of Education announced some short-term changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to make it easier for workers to get debt relief while it pursues long-term changes in the program.

The PSLF program was created to provide loan forgiveness for public service workers who have made 10 years of monthly payments (120 in all) on their education loans but have been restricted from applying and qualifying by eligibility and repayment rules.

Through Oct. 22, 2022, borrowers who have worked 10 years in a qualifying job will be eligible without regard to the type of federal loan or repayment plan they have — and loan payments previously ruled ineligible will be counted toward the 120-month requirement.

As employees of an eligible public service employer, full-time and part-time (30 or more hours) UAB and UAB Hospital employees may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on federal direct student loans after making 120 qualifying payments through the PSLF program.

To certify your employment for the first time or to certify portions of your employment history you haven’t yet verified, go to the PSLF help tool. You can also fill out the PSLF form by hand and mail it in. 

To complete Section 3 and 4 (the employer section) of the Certification Form, UAB/UAB Hospital employees should deliver the form to HR Records Administration, Administration Building Suite 254; the physical address is 701 20th Street South, 2nd Floor, Suite 254.

For your payments to qualify under the waiver, you need to fill out the PSLF form by Oct. 31, 2022. 

Learn more about the PSLF limited waiver online. Learn more about the PSLF program requirements and other assistance programs to help eligible employees with fewer than 120 payments on the UAB Human Resources website.