When discussing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), many borrowers get confused about the difference between ten years at an eligible employer and 120 certified payments.
Even though 120 payments add up to ten years, there are some significant differences. The big fear for most borrowers is that they will have to start over if they make a mistake.
This article will break down the time requirement for PLSF, including how changing employers, switching repayment plans, and breaks in payments impact the clock.
Why 120 Certified Payments is More Accurate than Ten Years for PSLF
It isn’t wrong to say that it takes ten years to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
However, it is more clear to say that qualifying for PSLF requires 120 certified payments.
This critical distinction goes back to the payment certification process. When a borrower submits an employer certification form, the loan servicer does a comprehensive review of the borrower’s account before certifying the payment. The PSLF loan servicer, MyFedLoan, will check to see that the borrower has eligible loans and is on an eligible repayment plan. If a requirement is missing, the payment does not get certified.
If you only focus on the ten years of public service requirement, you risk disappointment with the results of your PSLF application.
Watch the Fine Print. In addition to 120 certified payments, borrowers must be employed full-time by a PSLF-eligible employer at the time they apply for forgiveness and when the debt is forgiven. If you wait until you have made 120 payments, it could take longer than ten years to have the debt forgiven.
Changing Employers, Breaks in Payments, and Switching Repayment Plans
Many borrowers fear that if they start a new job, pause payments, or take a break from public service, they will have to start PLSF from scratch.
Fortunately, there is no consecutive payment requirement. As a result, borrowers can pause repayment, leave the public sector for a private company, and later pick up where they left off.
As long as the total certified payments add up to 120, borrowers can qualify for PSLF.
Sherpa Tip: As a sharp reader pointed out in the comments, it’s also worth noting that the 120 certified payments cannot start before 2007, when the PSLF program was first created.
The Starting Over Risk
Even though payments don’t have to be consecutive, there is still a risk that borrowers might have to start from scratch on PSLF.
Consolidating Federal Student Loans – While there are many benefits to federal direct consolidation, one of the downsides is that it creates new loans and restarts the forgiveness clock. The limited waiver on PSLF resolved this issue for some borrowers, but the limited waiver expires on October 31, 2022.
Ineligible Loans or Repayment Plans – If a borrower isn’t on an eligible repayment plan or doesn’t have eligible loans, they won’t make any progress towards PSLF. Many borrowers think they are making progress but have to start over when they discover a major flaw.
Note for Borrowers on the Wrong Repayment Plan: If you discover that you were on the wrong repayment plan, there is a temporary federal program that can help.
Getting Payments Certified
The payment certification process is relatively straightforward. Borrowers need to complete this form and have it signed by their employer.
If you are looking for a guided application, the PSLF Help Tool is an excellent resource. The Department of Education created the PSLF help tool to aid borrowers in verifying employment eligibility. The PSLF Help Tool also assists borrowers in completing the necessary forms for certification.
How Often Should I Certify Payments?
There isn’t a requirement for payment certifications. Theoretically, a borrower could complete one employer certification after ten years.
However, waiting until ten years have been completed is a huge mistake. If there is an eligibility problem with the borrower’s loans or repayment plan, it would be devastating. Loan eligibility issues are often easy to fix, but it requires restarting the PSLF clock. Thus, waiting ten years may mean wasting ten years.
The best practice for borrowers is to certify payments when:
- starting a new job,
- leaving an old job, and;
- getting married.
Additionally, borrowers should plan on submitting a certification form once a year at the minimum. Frequent certification is the best way to maximize PSLF forgiveness and avoid mistakes.
I want to understand what is considered a qualifying payment under the PSLF program. I have been in income based repayment plans basically since graduation and often had $0 required monthly. If the plan calls for a $0 payment does it still qualify? I’m not in any easier position to repay my loans than before and I hate have them hanging over my head. I also had a long term deferment due to bankruptcy.
$0 payments can qualify for PSLF, so long as you meet the other requirements.
If you haven’t already done so, I’d encourage you to submit an employer certification form. It is the best way to verify whether or not that time will count.
Thank you, yes I did so earlier this evening. I am really hoping I meet the qualifications, or will soon.
Hello, so glad i came across this post. Thank you for the information. What counts as one of the 120 payments? Can I make 2 full payments in one month and it would count as 2 payments or would it only count as one? I have been working for the same eligible employers over the years and have been re certifying regularly and now have 80 certified payments under my belt. I am scheduled to have my loans forgiven by 2026 as having the loan balance make it difficult to apply for things like mortgages. I work a second job and would love to put that money to having my loans forgiven earlier, i just always assumed it had to be 10 years.
Unfortunately, you can only make one payment per month. Also, please remember that you will need to be in the PSLF job at the time you apply and when the loan is forgiven.
As for getting a mortgage, the new SAVE plan could be a big asset. If you really want to dig into ways to get your student loans ready for mortgage applications, be sure to check out this guide.
This makes sense. I kind of figured 2 payments wouldn’t going to count, worth asking though. Thanks for the guidance about having to be in the job at the time I apply, I didn’t know that. This job is relatively stable and I don’t see myself leaving before the forgiveness period. Do you know anything about the buyback program mentioned in the recent forbes article about the new changes? https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2023/07/25/new-changes-expand-student-loan-forgiveness-for-public-service-borrowers/?sh=50da6702559d I can’t seem to find much and it doesn’t appear that they have implemented it yet. I am asking because I found potentially 9 months of forbearance that pushed my 120 payments schedule out. They were within the certified employment periods and i was working full time, but due to financial hardship I was not able to make the payments (partner lost their job or we were in transition). If i could make payments or get them to count somehow with the new rules that would be awesome. Thanks again for your helpful articles and responses.
Great question.
That buyback opportunity isn’t yet available, but it could be a great fit for your circumstance.
The only word of caution I would add is that you might get credit for that time under the one-time account adjustment, scheduled to take place in early 2024. If you have a total of 9 months of forbearance, it probably won’t count. However, if this time was classified as a deferment, it would count. I’d suggest double-checking the classification and then discussing it with your servicer.
someone told me that during the current loan forgiveness pause/ the moratorium on federal student loan payments, interest and collections, that started in March 2020, we have been getting monthly credits to reach the 120 qualifying payments requirement during this pause/moratorium even if we haven’t been making payments. Is this true?
Hi Jim. I’d rate that comment as mostly true. The time during the payment pause can count towards PSLF forgiveness. However, you still need to be working in a PSLF-eligible job and have eligible loans.
I consolidated my loans. I am close to the 120 payment mark on two of the loans. The other three have two years left. Am I eligible now for all of the loans or can I get those two forgiven?
If you consolidated the loans, the consolidated loan should have one count, and it will likely be the highest number of the included loans. Either way, I’d encourage you to apply now. Processing can take some time, and if you are not quite up to 120, you can always submit another PSLF form later on.
I had student loans with FedLoan Servicing, and I consolidated with Nelnet. My question is, will all the payments I have paid to FedLoan Service count even though I consolidated with Nelnet?
It is possible. What type of loan is your current loan with Nelnet? Is it a direct consolidation loan or an FFEL consolidation loan?
If you don’t know, you can look this information up on studentaid.gov
I received a notice saying I have 0 qualifying payments even though I have paid for 20 years. I know the processing times are long, but the letter sounded definite. I called the PSLF help number, but the wait times are a nightmare as you might imagine. Do I have any other recourse?
You could try emailing your servicer… but sometimes the long hold time is the only way to get answers. I’d suggest taking care of it before the repayment restart begins, because it will only get worse.
Hi! Like so may public servants, who were duped by the Bush Administration, I made 180 hefty payments for my consolidated FFEL loans beginning in 2007 prior to conversion to a DOE loan in 2022. My remaining loans were just forgiven through the TEPSLF. Outrageous that we can’t currently be reimbursed for the 60 extra payments, but I also made 2 very large extra payments (total 25K) during my repayment. My question is that since payments were suspended 03/13/2020, can I get reimbursed at least for the payments made after that date until the DOE consolidation this year? Thanks so much for your counsel.
It depends. It sounds like you were making payments on FFEL loans. Refunds are not available for those loans. If the extra payments were made towards a federal direct loan, you can get a refund.
According to the servicer, not any 10-year period qualifies, only late 2007 to 2017. I retired in 2013 with 38 years service. I was told I didn’t qualify for PSLF. This seems designed only to benefit people recruited during the Obama administration.
Thats a great point Darlene. The PSLF program wasn’t created until 2007 when then President George W. Bush signed it into law. Public service before the existence of the PSLF program does not count.
I met the 120 Qualifying Payments. I have been teaching for over 30 years in the public schools here in Massachusetts. I just got off the phone with PSLF Rep. and it will take at least another 1-3 months to be Forgiven. Why? I have met all the requirements. Should be immediate.
The PSLF processing times have been all over the place of late.
I’m in the same boat. I met all the requirements. I made 124 “qualifying” payments but my account still shows a balance. I was wondering how long it takes for my balance to reflect the forgiveness. Glad you asked.
One of my bosses told me it took almost four months for their 120 months of qualified payments to be certified. She was also told not to leave her public service employer before she got the certification approved.
I still have four years to go. But the four-month wait for certification has made me think about my retirement date. Instead of July 2027, my retirement date goes to December 2027. If I work till July 2028, my pension benefit will increase from 24% to 26% of my final average salary. But I’ll be 71 years old versus 70.
Definitely a big decision.
You are smart to be careful about your exact retirement date. You will need to finalize PSLF first.