BOYLE AND JOYCE CALL UPON SECRETARY OF EDUCATION TO IMPROVE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS
September 2, 2021 PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-02) and David Joyce (R-OH-14) today called upon Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to make needed changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to improve transparency and efficiency. Boyle and Joyce are co-Chairs of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Caucus.
In the letter, the Congressmen refer to the PSLF program's extremely high rejection rate and the need for vital reforms. The Congressman suggest several improvements that could be made by Secretary Cardona, including:
- Issuance of new guidelines to simplify the definitions of "public service," "public service job," and "public service organization."
- Publishing a registry of certified public service organizations.
- Providing transparency to borrowers around employment certification denials and establish a straightforward appeals process that all borrowers and organizations can access when a public service organization is rejected.
- Streamlining electronic processes for borrowers.
- Raising the profile of the PSLF program to encourage participation.
The Congressmen emphasized to Secretary Cardona how our nation's public servants have, without hesitation, stepped up to help our country through this public health emergency. They concluded the letter by asking Secretary Cardona to give full and fair consideration to their request.
Congress established the bipartisan loan forgiveness program in 2007 to help teachers, social workers, military personnel, and other public servants pursue sometimes lower-paying careers serving their communities without facing decades of crippling loan payments. The program allows borrowers to erase the balance of their student debt after working for a nonprofit or government employer for 10 years and making 120 qualifying loan payments.
A full copy of the letter can be found HERE .