Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employer Toolkit

PSLF Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is a qualifying employer for PSLF?

A: Government organizations and 501(c)(3) non-profits are qualifying employers. A non-profit that is not a 501(c)(3) but offers public services may also qualify. Service in an AmeriCorps or Peace Corps position qualifies.  When in doubt, complete the PSLF Form to get a final determination. 

Q: Does an employee’s position or title matter for PSLF eligibility?

A: No. What matters is that they work for a qualifying employer, in any role, which is determined by the employer’s federal Employment Identification Number (EIN). 

​

Q: Are all employees eligible?
A: As long as they work at a qualifying public service employer, the only restriction to an employee’s eligibility is that they must be considered a full-time employee. The Department of Education considers full-time to be at least 30 hours per week. If an employee works at least 30 hours per week but is not considered a full-time employee, i.e., your organization considers 35 or 40 hours a week to be full-time, you can still consider them to be full-time for PSLF purposes and indicate that they are full time on their PSLF Form. Otherwise, there is no limitation on who can qualify. Employers should still complete PSLF Forms for part-time employees, as they can combine those hours with hours worked during the time period for another qualifying employer to meet the 30-hour minimum.

Q: Who can sign the PSLF Form?

A: You can designate any employee to be an Authorized Official as long as they have access to employment records to verify the employee’s period of employment. This is stated on the PSLF Form itself in the instructions.

Q: Can I submit the PSLF Form online on behalf of my employees?

A: No. The Department of Education does not currently have an online submission system. Your employees should submit completed forms to: 

U.S. Department of Education
MOHELA
633 Spirit Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63005-1243
Fax: 717-720-1628

If your employee has loans that are already serviced by MOHELA, they can upload their form through their account on MOHELA’s website, but employers cannot access those accounts.

​

Q. Why are submitted forms rejected?

A: PSLF forms will be rejected if they are incomplete, if the completed information is illegible, or if it does not have a handwritten signature. The signature does not have to be an original, but it must have been drawn using a pen or stylus by the Authorized Official; stamps, typed names, or cursive fonts are not accepted. Be sure to review the form carefully and complete all the required information.

Q: How often should the PSLF Form be completed?

A: Employees can submit this form at any time. They are encouraged to submit it annually and upon employment separation.

Q. As an employer, do I need to determine whether employees qualify for forgiveness?

A: No. You can refer employees to studentaid.gov and other trusted resources for employees to learn about their eligibility. There is no harm or consequence if an employee submits a signed form and it is later determined that the employer is not eligible. The employer's only role is to certify the periods of their employment.

​

Q. How long does it take to process forms once they are submitted?

A: As more borrowers have become aware of the PSLF program and submitted forms to certify their employment, the wait time to process these forms has increased and can take several months. The Department of Education has been clear, though, that once a PSLF form is submitted, there is no further role for you as the employer unless you are directly contacted by the Department (which is uncommon).

Q: What was the time-limited PSLF Waiver that ended on October 31, 2022?

A: The PSLF Waiver was a time-limited waiver that was issued by the Department of Education and expired on October 31, 2022, which waived certain requirements of the PSLF program to allow borrowers to receive retroactive credit for past payments that were previously ineligible. 

​

Even though the PSLF Waiver has expired, the Department of Education extended most of the benefits and protections of the waiver through the IDR Account Adjustment. Learn more about the IDR Account Adjustment program here.

​

Neither the Waiver nor the Account Adjustment change the employer’s role of completing the PSLF Form.

*Note: Borrowers whose loans are not held and managed by the Department of Education must consolidate their loans by December 31, 2023, in order to benefit from this extension.

​

Q: By signing the PSLF Form, what am I actually certifying?

A: The PSLF Form only certifies the fact that the individual is a past or present employee, the number of hours that they worked for you per week, and the type of organization they worked for, such as government or non-profit. That is it. By signing the form, you are not certifying anything to do with job performance or the likelihood that the employee will receive PSLF loan cancellation.

Q: Are there any downsides or risks for the employer in filling out the form?

A: No. Even if your employee is ultimately ineligible for PSLF, because they have the wrong loans or because the employer type is not eligible for PSLF, the employer is not responsible or at all liable as long as they complete the form in good faith. The form only requires the employer to confirm that the individual is a past or present employee and the type of organization.

Q: Is it OK to complete a PSLF Form for an employee if I have previously completed a form for them that covers the same time period of employment?

A: Yes. There is no harm in completing a second form that partially or completely overlaps with a period of time that you have previously certified. Forms are regularly rejected for confusing reasons, and the PSLF program rules change, which may require an employee to have a new form signed.

See more FAQs about PSLF here.