PSLF Requirements for Teachers and Nurses, Explained in 5 Steps

You've probably heard a coworker in the break room say something about PSLF. Maybe it sounded too good to be true, or too complicated to bother with. Here are the PSLF requirements for teachers and nurses, in the order they actually matter, plus a checklist you can work through between grading and laundry.

What PSLF is

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)A federal program for people who work full time for government or qualifying nonprofit employers and make 120 qualifying payments. is a federal program for people who work in public service. If you meet every requirement, the remaining balance on your qualifying federal loans is discharged after 120 qualifying payments. That amount isn't taxed as federal income, though some states may tax it.

The catch is that every requirement has to line up, every month. Most problems come from one piece being off without the borrower knowing it.

PSLF requirements for teachers and nurses, explained in 5 steps

1. Work for a qualifying employerGovernment at any level counts, including public school districts, state universities and public hospitals. So does a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, like many private schools and hospitals. For-profit employers don't count, even if they contract with a public school or hospital.
2. Work full timeFull time means an average of at least 30 hours a week. You can combine part-time jobs at more than one qualifying employer to reach 30. Teachers on a contract of 8 months or more who work at least 30 hours a week during the contract are treated as full time for the whole year.
3. Have Direct LoansOnly federal Direct Loans count. FFEL and Perkins loans need to be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan first. Parent PLUS loans can't continue toward PSLF.
4. Be on a qualifying repayment planEvery income-driven plan counts, including RAP and IBR, as does the 10-year Standard plan. Graduated, Extended and Tiered Standard payments don't count.
5. Make 120 qualifying payments and certify your workPayments must be for the full amount on your bill and made on time. They don't have to be in a row, and only payments after October 1, 2007 count. Submit the PSLF form at least once a year and whenever you change employers.

One rule people miss: you must still work for a qualifying employer at the time you submit your form for the remaining balance to be discharged. And your qualifying payment count only updates when you submit a new PSLF form.

It's the employer, not the job title

This also helps school staff who aren't classroom teachers. Paraprofessionals, counselors, office staff and school nurses employed by a public school district or a nonprofit school are working for a qualifying employer. They still need to meet the full-time hours and the other four requirements.

This is the part that confuses the most people. A teacher at a public elementary school counts on the employer side. A teacher with the same job at a for-profit learning center doesn't. A school nurse employed by the district counts. A nurse placed in the same school by a for-profit staffing agency usually doesn't, because the agency is the employer.

Employers are matched by their federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), the number in box b of your W-2. Using a state ID number instead is one of the most common reasons a qualifying employer can't be found.

Student loan help for teachers: your PSLF checklist for busy moms

If any line is a question mark, that's usually where payments quietly stop counting. You don't have to sort it out between grading and bedtime. The easy way to get it handled is a free review at (877) 444-0912: someone goes through each item with you and tells you what needs fixing. No obligation and no upfront cost, 8am–5pm PT.

A few extra notes for teachers:

• Summers count. If your contract is at least 8 months, the whole year is treated as full time. Keep making payments on time all year, though, because each month's payment still has to be made.
• Paid leave counts. Paid time off and leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) count toward full-time employment.
• Switching districts? The best time to get the old job certified is before you leave, or as soon as you can after, while the right people are easy to reach.

PSLF or Teacher Loan Forgiveness?

Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF)A separate federal program for teachers who teach full time for five complete, consecutive years at a qualifying low-income school. is a separate program. It needs five complete, consecutive years of full-time teaching at a low-income school or educational service agency listed in the Teacher Cancellation Low Income directory. Highly qualified secondary math or science teachers and special education teachers can receive a maximum of $17,500. Other eligible teachers can receive a maximum of $5,000.

The same years of teaching can't count toward both TLF and PSLF. So using TLF can mean those five years don't count toward your 120 PSLF payments. That trade-off is worth thinking through before you submit anything.

If you were on SAVE

Months spent in the SAVE forbearance don't count toward PSLF. If you were moved off SAVE, picking a qualifying plan keeps new months counting. Remember that Tiered Standard doesn't count. See SAVE plan ended? Read this first and IBR vs RAP. There's also a buyback option for certain past forbearance months once you have 120 months of qualifying employment.

Nurses can find shift-work details in PSLF for nurses. For help with the form itself, see PSLF form for employer: 5 things to check.

Why people get help with this

PSLF has five requirements, and all five have to be right every month for years.

• Employer questions. Contractors, staffing agencies and shared state EINs cause confusion.
• The wrong plan. Tiered Standard, Graduated and Extended payments don't count.
• Old loan types. FFEL loans need consolidation, which changes your payment count.
• TLF timing. Using it can take years away from your PSLF count.
• Form problems. A missing signature or wrong EIN can hold up your form.

Someone who works on PSLF every day can go through your file with you. Want someone to handle it with you? Call (877) 444-0912.

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