If you think you might qualify for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity, it’s important to learn everything you can about the program and submit your request as soon as possible. TEPSLF has limited funding of $350 million, which means it will be provided to a limited number of applicants on a first come, first served basis.
Who Qualifies for Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
The Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity is available only to Direct Loan borrowers. If you’re repaying loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program, those loans won’t qualify for the program.
Additional requirements for TEPSLF include the following:
- You must have submitted the PSLF application: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Application for Forgiveness and had your application denied because of nonqualifying payments (some or all of your 120 required payments);
- You must have made 120 payments that qualify under the new TEPSLF requirements (see below), while working full-time for a qualifying employer or employers; and
- You must have at least 10 years of full-time employment with your qualifying employer or employers.
New TEPSLF Payment Plan Requirements
The Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity temporarily amends the standard PSLF program to include public service employees who were previously ineligible because of unqualified payments.
Specifically, the TEPSLF opportunity expands the list of qualifying repayment plans, from just one type of plan, to include four more. Where the regular PSLF program requires payments to be made under an Income-Driven Repayment Plan (IDR) in order to qualify, the TEPSLF includes payments made under the following plans, as well:
- Extended Repayment Plan
- Graduated Repayment Plan
- Consolidation Graduated Repayment Plan
- Consolidation Standard Repayment Plan
Note: Both the payment you made 12 months prior to applying for TEPSLF and the most recent payment you made prior to applying must each have been at least as much as you would have paid under an IDR plan.
How to Apply for Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness
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Submit a PSLF Application
To apply for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity, you must have already submitted an application for the regular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. You can fill out or download that application here.
If your application is accepted and you qualify for PSLF under the circumstances listed on the PSLF application, you do not need to apply for the temporary expanded program.
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Identify Why You Were Denied
If your application was denied because of unqualified monthly payments, you should then move onto “Step 3”: contact FedLoan to request reconsideration under the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity (see below).
If your application for PSLF was denied for a reason or reasons other than nonqualifying payments, you are not eligible for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity. You will need to contact FedLoan to discuss possible resolutions.
The reason your application was denied can be found on your PSLF denial letter from the Department of Education or by contacting FedLoan.
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Request Reconsideration Under TEPSLF
Once you’ve identified that your PSLF application was denied due to nonqualifying payments, you’ll need contact the Department of Education to request reconsideration under the temporary expanded program.
To request reconsideration for forgiveness under the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity follow these steps:
- Write an email to FedLoan asking that the Department of Education reconsider your application for PSLF under the temporarily expanded program.
- In your email, include your name (make sure it’s written exactly the same as it was on your PSLF application) and date of birth.
- Send your request to FedLoan at TEPSLF@myfedloan.org.
Note: If you’re still waiting for notice of denial for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, but you think you’ll be denied due to nonqualifying payments, it is possible to submit a request for reconsideration ahead of time. However, it’s in your better interest wait until you’ve received documentation (either online or by mail) of PSLF denial before submitting your request for TEPSLF. Sending a request early could result in a delay in processing your request.
What Does Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Mean for You?
- If you haven’t yet made 120 payments on your Direct Loan, you may or may not be able to take advantage of the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity. The federal government has allotted $350 million towards the temporary program, and once these funds are depleted, the program will end. Whether you’re nearing the 120-payment mark or you’re still a ways off, make sure to go through the PSLF qualification process, including employer certification, and verify that your payments qualify. When the TEPSLF program comes to an end, you will need to have made 120 qualified payments under an IDR plan to qualify.
- If you’ve been paying off your Direct Loan for about 10 years while being fully employed with a qualifying employer or employers, it’s a good time to review your past payments. Check to see whether your previous payments were made under an IDR plan or one of the repayment plans that qualify for the TEPSLF opportunity.
- If you haven’t applied for PSLF yet—and even if you know that your payments don’t qualify—you’ll need to fill out and submit the regular PSLF application to start the TEPSLF application process.
- If you’ve already been denied PSLF, review your letter of denial or contact FedLoan to verify the reason for denial. If you were denied because of nonqualifying payments, you may be eligible for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity, and you’ll want to act fast.
Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness FAQs
What’s the difference between PSLF and TEPSLF?
To qualify for either the regular PSLF Program or the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity, you must make 120 qualified payments towards repaying your Direct Loan.
Under the regular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, these 120 payments must all be made under an Income-Driven Repayment Plan (IDR). Any payment that wasn’t paid as part of an IDR Plan will not qualify for PSLF.
The Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity expands the list of qualifying payment plans. To qualify for TEPSLF, payments can also be made under a Graduated Repayment Plan, Extended Repayment Plan, Consolidation Graduated Repayment Plan, and/or Consolidation Standard Repayment Plan.
What happens after I send my request for TEPSLF?
Once you’ve sent your email requesting reconsideration for loan forgiveness under TEPSLF, FedLoan Servicing will confirm that you previously submitted the standard PSLF application and were denied.
Once this is confirmed, you will receive an initial response from FedLoan informing you whether or not you’re being considered for TEPSLF. This message will also let you know what to expect next.
The following are the three possible messages you can receive from FedLoan regarding your request for reconsideration (studentaid.gov):
- You are being considered for TEPSLF because you applied for PSLF and had your application denied. FedLoan Servicing will contact you again once the review is complete or if they need additional information.
- You have a PSLF application under review and if you are not determined to be eligible for loan forgiveness under the PSLF Program, your eligibility for the TEPSLF opportunity will be evaluated automatically because you have already sent your email request for reconsideration. FedLoan Servicing will contact you again once the review is complete or if they need additional information.
- You will not be evaluated for TEPSLF at this time because you have not submitted a PSLF application to date.
How long will the TEPSLF opportunity last?
The U.S. Department of Education is offering the Temporary Expanded Public Student Loan Forgiveness opportunity as a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018.
The act designates $350 million as additional loan forgiveness funds; when these funds run out, the TEPSLF opportunity will come to an end.
These funds will be distributed to qualified applicants on a first come, first served basis, which is why it’s important to act quickly if you think you may qualify.
Where can I find the application for Temporary Expanded Public Student Loan Forgiveness?
There is no specific or separate application for TEPSLF. Instead, you must submit an application for the regular Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which can be found here.
If you are denied PSLF due to nonqualifying payments, you can then contact FedLoan via email to request reconsideration under the Temporary Expanded Public Student Loan Forgiveness opportunity (see How to Apply for Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness above).
More Information About TEPSLF
If you have questions about the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Opportunity, visit the Federal Student Aid site. You can also email or call FedLoan Servicing using the below contact information:
Phone: 1-855-265-4038
Email: TEPSLF@myfedloan.org
