Update on Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Subject: Important! Student loan survey

Date: May 1, 2019 at 10:36:59 AM PDT

To: Jim Mahler

Jim,

Many AFT members and their families are struggling under a mountain of student debt, making it difficult for them to make ends meet. This is an opportunity issue, a funding issue, a living wage issue and a quality of life issue. College has become the new high school, yet we fail to fund it as a public good; as a result, student debt has exceeded $1.5 trillion. That’s why the AFT has taken on the student debt crisis as a union issue. In fact, a few months ago, 11 of our members filed a proposed class-action lawsuit, on behalf of all employees who work in public service, against Navient, a student loan servicer, for purposely and systematically giving these workers inaccurate information about their eligibility for income-driven repayment plans and the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

However, Navient is not the only one to blame. As of the end of December 2018, 53,749 unique borrowers had submitted 65,500 applications for public service loan forgiveness, and only 610 applications had been approved by the Department of Education. Those who work in public service are being denied the forgiveness they are entitled to at alarmingly high rates, and it’s time to put a stop to it. The law that created this program, by the way, was a bipartisan one—signed by President George W. Bush and spearheaded by Sens. Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy more than a decade ago.

That’s why the AFT is exploring further legal action on behalf of our memberswho have been denied public service loan forgiveness. Specifically, we are looking for AFT members whose applications for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program have been denied.

Such members must meet the following criteria:

• Made 120 payments on their federal student loans;
• Worked in a public or private school, for the government, or for a nonprofit organization for at least 10 years; and
• Applied for and were denied public service loan forgiveness.

If you fit this description and would be interested in being considered, click here and answer a few questions. Please also share this link with other public employees and AFT members.

The AFT or our lawyers may then reach out to you to learn more about your experience. Any information you share will be kept strictly confidential unless you give your express permission.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President