Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Plan Now for Future Financial Rewards. Paying off student loans can add financial stress to your life, that's why Congress passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act in 2007, which includes the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program rewarding those who qualify and go into public service fields such as the ones that SHU's online programs provide training for: nursing, case management, and community outreach.

General Requirements for PSLF*

Students must maintain federally-insured student loans, make 120 payments, and work full-time in an eligible public service job for at least 10 years.

Repayment Options

During the 10 years you make payments, sliding scale programs are available which determine fair and reasonable repayment amounts based on your financial situation and family size.

Which loans are eligible?

Only Direct Loans are applicable. PSLF covers federal Stafford, Grad PLUS, or consolidation loans as long as they are in the Direct Loan program. Borrowers with loans in the FFEL loan program must switch to the Direct Loan program to get this benefit. Direct Loans include:

• Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Subsidized Loans)
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Unsubsidized Loans)
• Federal Direct PLUS Loans (Direct PLUS Loans)- for parents and graduate or professional students
• Federal Direct Consolidation Loans (Direct Consolidation Loans)

If you don't meet these criteria, the Department of Education's regulations create a two-part test of other circumstances under which you may still be eligible if:

1. Your employer is not "a business organized for profit, a labor union, a partisan political organization, or an organization engaged in religious activities, unless the qualifying activities are unrelated to religious instruction, worship services, or any form of proselytizing;" and,
2. Your employer provides any of the following public services: emergency management, military service, public safety, law enforcement, public interest law services, early childhood education, public service for individuals with disabilities and the elderly, public health, public education, public library services, school library services, or other school-based services.

The staff at Sacred Heart University is available to help you discuss your financial aid options: just call us at 877-791-7181.

*Disclaimer: See http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PSF.jsp for complete program information. Sacred Heart University and its partners provide this general information as a service to you but cannot guarantee your acceptance to the program and make no guarantee regarding program details, continuity, and/or eligibility of applicants.