Opened Date: September 2025

Closed Date: 9/17/2025

Agency: Department of Education

The Department of Education is proposing amendments to its Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. PSLF dates back to 2007 and is aimed at encouraging Americans to enter essential public service jobs–like firefighting, nursing, and public law–in exchange for relief on their student loans. Under the PSLF program, those who complete 10 years of payments working for approved organizations may have their remaining loans forgiven. Since its inception, though, PSLF has exceeded its original intent, and now includes forgiveness of loans for many non-profit employees whose organizations are involved with foreign terrorist organizations, illegal immigration activities, and transgender medical interventions for minors. Instead of simply serving those who serve us, PSLF now serves as the de facto funder of many ideologically extreme and even illegal activities. 

In March, President Trump signed an executive order that aimed to return Public Service Loan Forgiveness to its fundamental promise and remove “individuals employed by organizations whose activities have a substantial illegal purpose” from PSLF. The Department of Education recently put it  simply: organizations that engage in illegal activities “such as supporting terrorism, aiding or abetting discrimination or violations of immigration laws, or child abuse” would be removed as approved organizations. PSLF was never meant to serve those who act against the interests of everyday Americans. This common sense solution returns PSLF back to its original purpose–supporting borrowers who dedicate their careers to public service–and ensures taxpayers are not funding ideologically extreme or illegal activities. 

Reforming PSLF WILL:

• Reward and encourage lawful public service.
• End the subsidization of employers engaged in harming children, supporting terrorism, and aiding the violation of our laws.
• Ensure taxpayer money is used to serve the public interest.