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How to fill out the Public Service Loan Forgiveness form
A step-by-step guide with pictures to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
So you’ve worked a public service job for more than 10 years, and you still haven’t paid off your student loans.
If this describes your situation, you might qualify to have your federal student debt forgiven — but you need to apply first. We walk you through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness form and help you make sure that you’re eligible.
How to complete the PSLF form
You need to complete a PSLF form for your current employer and submit an employer certification form — page two of the application — for each employer you worked with while making your 10 years of full student loan repayments.
You can complete the form electronically on by hand using dark ink. To eliminate potential problems, enter all dates in the order of month, day and year (MM/DD/YYYY) and only include numbers, making sure your name and Social Security number are on both pages.
Step 1. Fill out borrower information.
Complete the first section with your legal name, Social Security number and contact information. If any of your personal details have changed since you took out your student loan, check the box at the top of the section.
Step 2. Read and sign borrower authorizations, understandings and certification.
By signing this page, you agree to both let your employer release employment records to the Department of Education and receive automated voice and text messages to your phone. You’re also stating that you understand the terms and conditions of the PSFL application and certifying that all information is true to the best of your knowledge.
If any of your employers have since closed down business or won’t certify your employment, you can still apply by checking the box at the bottom of the form and skipping Step 4.
Step 3. Complete information about your employer.
You or your employer can fill out this first part of the employment certification form.
If you choose to complete it yourself, you’ll need to know the company’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), which you can find on your W-2 tax form. If you work for a nonprofit, you’ll need to know if it’s registered as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3).
Step 4. Have your employer certify your application.
Take your application to your employer to have them sign your application, certifying that you worked for them and the information is correct.
Step 5. Get certification from other employers.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for each employer you worked with over the time you’ve repaid your student loans. You can submit these forms as you move from employer to employer or all at once.
Step 6. Submit your forms.
If your loan servicer is FedLoan, you’re in luck: You can log in and upload your forms through FedLoan’s website.
If you’re repaying your student loans through another servicer, you need to mail them to:
FedLoan Servicing
US Department of Education
PO Box 69184
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9184
Bottom line
Applying for PSLF can be easy if you plan ahead. To get the fastest results, submit employment certification forms each time you leave a qualified public service job. And keep track of how many qualified payments you’re making so that you don’t have to scramble at the last minute.
To learn more, read our guide on how student loan forgiveness programs work.
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