from Alyssa Picard at AFT Higher Education
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is a free federal program available to public service workers, including adjunct and contingent faculty. This program allows educators and others to have the balance of their federal student loan debt wiped away after meeting certain requirements. Through Oct. 31, 2022, PSLF has been temporarily expanded to allow for more wide-reaching and equitable access to this benefit.
The good news is that with the waiver in place, PSLF now can and does result in balances being discharged, tax-free.
Adjunct faculty members are eligible for PSLF, though they often have more difficulty accessing it than other academic workers. The information below comes from AFT Higher Education and outlines the steps adjunct faculty need to take to apply for PSLF before the current waiver expires on October 31, 2022.
The PSLF employment requirement is 30+ hours per week, but multiple jobs can combine to reach that 30+ hours, and the Department of Education has proposed a 3.35 hour multiplier for all credit hours worked (which means a person teaching 9 credit hours would be over the threshold at 30.05 hours/week). This letter from the AFT can be used to demand employers correctly account for hours worked. Additionally, this letter explains the PSLF process to AFT members, but may also be helpful to those outside of AFT.
Eligible applicants need to do two things by 11:59pm ET on 10/31:
- Certify all current and past public service employment by completing an Employer Certification Form in the Federal Student Aid PSLF Help Tool and
- Consolidate, federally, any federal loans that are not already Direct student loans.
AFT Student Debt Clinics are open to all. Registration information is here.